Apple has announced an update to its App Store age ratings in Australia and France, but thankfully, no action will need to be taken by developers serving apps in those countries. The changes, Apple said, would be introduced in the next few months in accordance with local laws.
In Australia, apps with any instances of simulated gambling will have to carry an R18+ regional age rating in addition to the Apple global age rating on the App Store. Meanwhile, in France, apps with a 17+ Apple global age rating will also display an 18+ regional age rating on the App Store.
Apple’s App Store is already more strict than alternative systems like ESRB or PEGI. For example, where PEGI marks a game as 3+, the equivalent from Apple is 4+, or where PEGI says 16+, Apple says 17+. When PEGI marks a game as 18+ or ESRB marks it as Adults Only, Apple won’t even let you publish this content on the App Store.
In Australia, where the government wants to tackle simulated gambling, Apple’s rating system marks those games as 17+ globally. Meanwhile, in France, it just seems they want to make things a bit more understandable, as many things Apple allows for 17+ users may be seen as 18+ content by some people.
Content marked with a 17+ rating in Apple’s system includes:
- Unrestricted web access, such as with an embedded browser
- Gambling
- Frequent or intense simulated gambling
- Frequent or intense mature or suggestive content
- Frequent or intense medical or treatment-focused content
- Frequent or intense references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use
- Frequent or intense sexual content or nudity
- Frequent or intense realistic violence
As mentioned before, Apple will deal with all these changes so developers don’t have to go into their App Store profiles and start editing the details of their apps.