Microsoft introduces Windows 11 age verification API for privacy

Microsoft is introducing a new system-level feature for Windows 11 called the Windows Age API. This mechanism allows applications to determine a user's age group without accessing their exact date of birth, enhancing privacy by categorizing users into five specific brackets: under 10, 10-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18+.

To prevent unauthorized data requests, Microsoft’s Digital Safety platform will pre-approve and verify applications permitted to call this API. The move is intended to help developers enforce age-related restrictions, such as content filtering, social feature limitations, and in-app purchase controls, while complying with increasing regulatory pressure regarding child safety in regions like the US, UK, and EU.

One of the first applications expected to implement this is the free version of Microsoft Teams. In certain jurisdictions where local laws mandate age verification, users may be prompted to verify their age via their Microsoft account using methods such as ID uploads or facial estimation. Failure to verify age may result in restricted access to specific features, including meeting recordings, community functions, and AI tools like Copilot.