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

Kids Category and COPPA-Aligned Child Privacy Requirements

High severity Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Apps designed for children must not show third-party ads, must not send children's data to outside companies, and must use parental permission prompts when collecting personal information from minors.

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 structures the operational requirements for kid-directed app distribution on the App Store by establishing data handling restrictions and gatekeeping procedures. Compliance with these requirements determines eligibility for the Kids Category classification and affects the technical and procedural design of child-directed applications.

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
Apr 9, 2026
First Seen
Apr 10, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 1153 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Children using apps in the Kids Category are protected from third-party data sharing and advertising tracking, but parents should verify that apps targeting their children are correctly categorized in the Kids Category to ensure these protections apply.

How other platforms handle this

MetaMask Medium

We may share your personal information with our affiliates, meaning entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common control with Consensys. We also share information with service providers who assist in operating our services, subject to confidentiality obligations.

Ledger Medium

At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.

Target Medium

RedCard. We share information with our financial partners to operate the Target RedCard program.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Apps in the Kids Category must not include third-party advertising or analytics. You should also pay particular attention to privacy laws around the world relating to the collection of data from children online. Parental gates should be used whenever your app asks for input of personal information from minors. Apps must not transmit data about a minor to third parties.

— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly implements COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq.) requirements, enforced by the FTC with civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation per day. It also engages GDPR Art. 8 (age of digital consent, varying by member state from 13-16), UK Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code), and California's Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273). The provision's reference to 'privacy laws around the world relating to the collection of data from children' creates a broad compliance obligation without specifying a definitive standard.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    COPPA enforcement authority rests with the FTC, which has primary jurisdiction over children's online privacy violations by app developers distributing through the App Store.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
DMA
European Union
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
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
March 6, 2026
Last verified
April 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002420
Document ID
CA-D-00025
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
877541265fefdbebabcd1e30fe9651433f6b1dd3064ee4d811f9f9918e043f98
Analysis generated
March 6, 2026 20:15 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Apple
Document: Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Record ID: CA-P-002420
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:15:42 UTC
SHA-256: 877541265fefdbeb…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/apple/apple-app-store-review-guidelines/kids-category-and-coppa-aligned-child-privacy-requirements/
Accessed: June 15, 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 Kids Category and COPPA-Aligned Child Privacy Requirements clause do?

This provision structures the operational requirements for kid-directed app distribution on the App Store by establishing data handling restrictions and gatekeeping procedures. Compliance with these requirements determines eligibility for the Kids Category classification and affects the technical and procedural design of child-directed applications.

How does this clause affect you?

Children using apps in the Kids Category are protected from third-party data sharing and advertising tracking, but parents should verify that apps targeting their children are correctly categorized in the Kids Category to ensure these protections apply.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Apple?

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