Digital Age Assurance Act of 2026

Privacy Protection via Age Brackets: Operating system providers must classify information into age bracket data, which allows users to demonstrate their age range without revealing exact dates of birth or other personal details (Section 2, Section 3).

Enhanced Security through Digital Credentials: The bill allows for the use of verifiable credentials or zero-knowledge proofs, which are methods to demonstrate age while disclosing no other information about the user (Section 2, Section 3).

Parental Oversight: For users identified as children, the bill requires that they link their account to the account of a parent or legal guardian (Section 3).

Protection from Targeted Advertising: It is unlawful for any person to engage in targeted advertising to a user that they know or should reasonably know is a child (Section 7).

Prevention of Data Monetization for Children: The bill makes it unlawful to sell, license, rent, or otherwise make available the personal data of a user known to be a child to a data broker (Section 7).

Data Minimization Requirements: Entities are prohibited from collecting more data than is necessary to generate age signals or perform basic functions, and they cannot use age bracket data for profiling or targeted advertising (Section 6).

Account Creation Burdens: Operating system providers are required to have users establish accounts through a process that requires the indication of date of birth and age (Section 3).

Mandatory Account Linking: If the information indicates a user is a child, the provider must require that the child link their account to a parent or legal guardian (Section 3).

Risk of Incorrect Age Information: Developers or website operators may receive clear and convincing information that a user's age is different than the signal provided, necessitating a verification and update process (Section 3, Section 4).

Potential for Technical Errors: Operating system providers are granted a safe harbor from liability if technical errors or internet outages prevent them from providing the required age signal (Section 3).