Apps designed for children must not include third-party advertising, behavioral analytics, or social networking features, and can only collect personal data that is strictly necessary for the app to function.
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
This provision prohibits the data collection and advertising practices in child-directed apps that are most commonly associated with privacy risks to minors, including behavioral advertising identifiers, third-party analytics, and social features.
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 →Requirements restructured to add explicit prohibitions on unnecessary personal information collection and social networking/chat features, and parental consent language shifted from 'should' to 'may not' for third-party data collection.
View full change record →Parents whose children use apps listed in Apple's Kids Category can rely on the guidelines' prohibition on third-party advertising networks, behavioral analytics, and unnecessary personal data collection in those apps; however, enforcement depends on developer compliance and Apple's review process.
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"Apps in the Kids Category may not include third-party advertising or analytics. Apps in the Kids Category must not request more personal information than is necessary to operate the app. Apps in the Kids Category should not include any means of social networking or of chat. Apps in the Kids Category may not include advertising networks, third-party analytics, or data collection without verifiable parental consent.Excerpt from Apple's App Store Review Guidelines
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly implicates COPPA (enforced by the FTC), which prohibits online collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent and restricts behavioral advertising directed at children.
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.
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This provision prohibits the data collection and advertising practices in child-directed apps that are most commonly associated with privacy risks to minors, including behavioral advertising identifiers, third-party analytics, and social features.
Parents whose children use apps listed in Apple's Kids Category can rely on the guidelines' prohibition on third-party advertising networks, behavioral analytics, and unnecessary personal data collection in those apps; however, enforcement depends on developer compliance and Apple's review process.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 289 platforms. See the full comparison.
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