Microsoft is adding new age-awareness APIs to Windows 11 that will allow apps to determine whether someone is a child, teenager, or adult without exposing their exact date of birth.
The new Windows Age API uses information associated with a Microsoft account and can return age ranges such as under 10, 10-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18+.
“Apps receive only the age-related signal needed for the experience and not sensitive personal data such as full date of birth,” Microsoft explained.
If you’re a developer, you will be able to use GetUserAgeRangeAsync to retrieve those age groups, while GetAgeVerificationStatusAsync can tell an app whether a user’s age has actually been verified rather than simply self-reported.
Microsoft says this could allow apps to automatically adjust features and safeguards for younger users without requiring parents to configure every app individually.
The company specifically says the technology also applies to AI experiences, where age-appropriate protections are becoming increasingly important.
Windows will work alongside Microsoft Age Verification, or MAV, which stores a verified age status with your Microsoft account.
“Verify once → use everywhere,” Microsoft says, with apps able to check that verification status through the Windows Age APIs rather than repeatedly asking users to prove their age.
Age verification is already available through Microsoft storefronts in Singapore, Brazil, and Australia, with more regions planned as regulatory requirements expand.
Microsoft is also increasing the visibility of parental controls during Windows setup in regions including France.
The Windows Age APIs are broadly available to Windows Insiders now and will roll out to all Windows users soon.
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“You can verify your age using one of the following options: Facial age estimation (selfie) Uploading a document” No thanks. I wont be doing that.
Will they be using this as an excuse to get rid of local accounts?
Well naturally. Microsoft will do absolutely nothing if it doesn’t benefit them somehow. And you being forced to have an account will most definitely benefit them.
It will be worse than that. I think Microsoft will start to enforce the Microsoft account requirement as mandatory, and block unsupported machines from installing 27h2 entirely. I also predict this new ID/age verification will somehow be tied to the TPM, therefore they will remove the TPM bypass people use to install on unsupported PCs. It will also help them target advertisements at specific age groups.
This thing is totally not going to backfire with catastrophic consequences. Like at all. No sir….
Ah yes, hard pass. And as an IT admin, hard disable only any corporate device.
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