Apple · Apple App Store Review Guidelines · View original document ↗

Children's App Privacy and COPPA Requirements

High severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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This analysis describes what Apple's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision operationalizes compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes App Store review standards for child-directed applications. It restricts the monetization and data collection mechanisms available to developers distributing children's apps through Apple's platform.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 9, 2026

The updated guidelines state that developers must ensure kids receive age-appropriate experiences within their apps and must remove user-generated content that violates the guidelines, terms of service, or community standards. Under the revised policy, if Apple identifies policy-violating content, the developer will be asked to remove it and provide a compliance improvement plan. Based on the developer's response, the app may be removed from the App Store until compliance is demonstrated. This establishes a formal escalation pathway where developer inaction or inadequate remediation can result in app suspension or removal.

View change record →

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
May 10, 2026
First Seen
May 11, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 3350 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

For users of children's apps distributed through the App Store, this provision restricts the collection of personal data and prohibits targeted advertising or behavioral analytics, unless explicit verifiable parental consent has been obtained. Apps that do not comply with these restrictions are ineligible for distribution in the Kids Category.

How other platforms handle this

Yelp Medium

The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your cons...

Shein Medium

enableGpcSdk: true, gpcSetting: { privacyPolicyLink: '/Privacy-Security-Policy-a-282.html' }

Target Medium

We process Global Privacy Control signals as opt-out requests for the sale or sharing of personal information.

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Apps in the Kids Category and apps intended for children must not include third-party advertising or analytics. You may not collect, transmit, or use personal information from a child (such as name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, chat, other personal information, or persistent identifiers used to identify a child or device) without appropriate consent from a verifiable adult.

— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines

Applicable regulations

EU AI Act
European Union
BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Colorado AI Act
US-CO
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FCRA
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
GLBA
United States Federal
HIPAA
United States Federal
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
TCPA
United States Federal
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Entity
Apple
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008986
Document ID
CA-D-00025
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
307db15d06f03003277f88a1476a1308e92cc7cba75906b4fac341d1054f5040
Analysis generated
April 28, 2026 08:36 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Apple
Document: Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Record ID: CA-P-008986
Captured: 2026-04-28 08:36:55 UTC
SHA-256: 307db15d06f03003…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/apple/apple-app-store-review-guidelines/childrens-app-privacy-and-coppa-requirements/
Accessed: June 10, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apple's Children's App Privacy and COPPA Requirements clause do?

This provision operationalizes compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes App Store review standards for child-directed applications. It restricts the monetization and data collection mechanisms available to developers distributing children's apps through Apple's platform.

How does this clause affect you?

For users of children's apps distributed through the App Store, this provision restricts the collection of personal data and prohibits targeted advertising or behavioral analytics, unless explicit verifiable parental consent has been obtained. Apps that do not comply with these restrictions are ineligible for distribution in the Kids Category.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Apple?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple.