Apple announced App Store policy changes on Monday requiring online dating apps and AI companions with romantic or sexual content to carry an 18+ rating. Starting November 16, developers must include new content descriptors to ensure accurate age ratings, building on the tech giant's prior rollouts of global age assurance technology, parental controls, and child safety features.
The new rules will directly impact AI companion platforms like Character.AI and Replika, which let users create virtual friends and romantic partners, alongside xAI's 3D animated companions that allow NSFW capabilities. By last summer, top AI companion apps had accumulated 220 million global downloads across the Apple App Store and Google Play. Additionally, apps must now indicate if they share user locations with others, addressing significant privacy concerns.
This policy update matters because it establishes stricter safeguards for minors interacting with popular AI companion apps and dating platforms on mobile devices.