Tell HN: In the UK, iOS 26.4 needs an age check to change content restrictions
Anyway, I just updated. Didn’t think about it, just wanted to send that Bigfoot emoji to my ‘Squatcher friend, and get the security updates. However, after the post-install reboot, I see a screen suggesting I confirm that I’m over 18. Yes, I’m over 18, what’s it to you, phone?
The default confirmation method is a credit card. I’m out of luck here because it won’t accept my debit card. After that there’s the option to send a photo of a driving licence or “national ID” off to somewhere to be deleted soon we promise. Sorry, mysterious trusted Apple partner, I don’t have either of those. How have I lived without them? Pretty easy so far, but that’s really not the issue here is it?
You can defer the confirming, but the bozofied implementation will kindly flip the kids-mode switch for you. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at the content restrictions before, so I’m not sure what’s changed in practice. Things like Tinder show up in the App Store. Is that a kids’ app? I never used it. The National Lottery and Betfred too. I’m not a gambler, so I don’t know the most deranged ones to check. I tried DuckDuckGoing a few variations on “naked”, like “the naked ape”, “naked film”, “naked Mike Leigh”, “Naked Gun”, “naked mole rat”, and well, bad news, rodent fans. Desmond Morris got through, though. I guess there’s an OS level block on accessing the obvious websites, because I’m being told nope while using a VPN. I’m curious, are there any news sources etc that are blocked via this method, or is it just adult material?
Won’t get on my soapbox too much about there being something ulterior at the heart of all of these mandated “protections”, whether it be control, empire, censorship, surveillance, or financial incentive. But that’s what it’s all about, right?
I’ll have to try to roll back to iOS 26.3 for now, but perhaps some of you will know a workaround for this most dopey answer to a very specious requirement?