Apple, Google required to provide digital ID tools under Missouri age verification law – but are they ready?

People in Missouri will soon need to prove they are 18 or older to access content deemed "harmful for minors" online.

Missouri's age verification law officially takes effect on November 30, 2025, and requires all websites or applications containing at least 33% "harmful" material to verify their users' age before granting them access. Failing to comply with the new rules could cost companies up to $10,000 a day in fines.

The Ozark State is just the latest in the US to implement some form of mandatory age verification. And while some experts have described it as "a copy-paste version" of other laws in the country, Missouri is the first to include a provision on digital ID.

Under the new rules, any mobile operating systems with at least 10 million users in the country – think Apple and Google – must provide a digital identification system that websites or applications can use to check their users' age.

But, how are digital IDs expected to work in practice? And are these solutions better for privacy? Most importantly, are the likes of Google and Apple ready for November 30?

Digital ID and age verification – all you need to know

As the name suggests, a digital ID stores personal identity documents and can be used to prove who you are without sharing any physical documents.

As we've previously reported, ID management experts believe that these technologies have the potential to be a secure solution to age verification. But only if they are well-implemented.

That's because, if properly built, digital ID wallets would enable users to prove they are adults without revealing any of their identifiable information. As the Co-Founder of Privado ID, Evin McMullen, told TechRadar: it's like "a thumbs up or a green light that is cryptographically signed and verifiable."

The potential for enhanced security, privacy, and convenience has pushed governments and Big Tech giants alike to invest in the first iterations of such ID wallets.

Apple recently unveiled its new Digital ID tool, which sparked a huge privacy backlash. Although it's a US-only feature for now, it will only let users present their digital passports at about 250 airports across the country.

Similarly, Google expanded its ID Wallet to more US states and the UK back in April. And, while more "use cases are on the way," at the moment the system has pretty much the same functionality as its Apple counterpart.

While Apple and Google have both made some progress with their Digital ID systems, they are nowhere near the level that Missouri's lawmakers are asking for.

Some also argue that despite digital ID wallets being more secure, many of the privacy and security issues linked with age verification remain.

"These digital IDs have a lot of important privacy and security protections, but more in theory than practice," Senior Policy and Advocacy Expert at the Internet Society, John Perrino, told TechRadar. That's mainly because zero-knowledge proof systems are still being developed, he said.

There's also a problem of trust. How many people, for example, will be happy to trust Big Tech giants with their most sensitive data?

"Even if this is the most secure thing on your phone, will people feel comfortable storing and sharing their driver's license or passport to access restricted apps and websites? Even the mere perception of a privacy intrusion drives people to less safe corners of the Internet," said Perrino.

How a VPN can help protect your privacy

If you are scared off from the prospect of compromising your ID confidentiality, you may want to start looking into a way to take back some agency over your data.

You probably have already looked online for a solution, and the word VPN would've probably come up. Be mindful of the app you download, though. From a quick search on "Missouri VPN," we found many apps we've never heard of in the top results. While these may not be all necessarily harmful, keep in mind that official app stores are filled with dodgy VPN apps – especially freebies.

While there are only a handful of free VPN we recommend using, all of them come with some limitations. The good news is that some of the best VPN providers on the market are currently offering Black Friday VPN deals, meaning you can get premium protection starting for as little as $1 a month.

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