Why App Store Rules Aren’t Enough, And Why Future-Proof Brands Plan Beyond Them

Across the U.S. and beyond, major app marketplaces are experimenting with age verification and safety signals to enforce who can access mobile apps, including games and in-app purchases. But platform controls alone do not guarantee brand safety, compliant youth reach, or consistent suitability, leaving brands exposed today. As laws evolve, brands cannot rely on platform rules as the only safeguard. And if age-gating becomes mandatory at scale, only brands operating inside compliant, purpose-built environments will retain access to youth audiences.

‍Quick Facts Check‍

→ U.S. proposals such as the App Store Accountability Act would shift responsibility for age verification and parental consent to app marketplaces, but rollout, enforcement, and legal standing remain uneven.

→ State level laws in Texas, Utah, and Louisiana mandate age checks and parental consent, yet key provisions face legal challenges and inconsistent enforcement.

→ Regulators increasingly describe app stores as ‘chokepoints’ for child safety, while noting that platform rules alone do not deliver consistent real-world brand protection. Brands cannot simply hope that app stores will protect their media placements. As age-gating tightens, there is only one scalable path forward: advertising inside environments that are compliant by design, not retrofitted to changing rules.

Kidoz is built as a long-term partner for brands advertising to youth. Our mobile gaming inventory is compliant by design, with contextual targeting, built-in suitability, and privacy-first architecture, so brands remain protected today and future-proof as age-gating becomes standard.

‍Learn why brands planning for the long term partner with Kidoz to protect youth reach, now and as age-gating tightens.