Beyond the Kids category rules, any app that's plausibly used by children needs to avoid collecting personal information without a real parental-consent mechanism, and can't include behavioral advertising targeted at that age group.
Common in general-audience apps that turn out to have a large child user base but weren't built with the stricter data-collection consent flow that requires.
"Your app collects personal information from children without obtaining verifiable parental consent, per guideline 5.1.4."
Guideline 5.1.4 sets privacy expectations for apps that children are likely to use, beyond the rules for the Kids Category. Apps must avoid collecting personal information without a real parental-consent mechanism and cannot include behavioural advertising aimed at that age group. It often surprises general-audience apps that attract a large number of young users.
Children cannot meaningfully consent to data collection, and laws in many countries treat their data with extra care. Apple expects developers to take responsibility when their app is likely to be used by young people, whether or not that was the intended audience. The guideline aligns with legal requirements on children's data, while setting a platform-level standard of its own.
The relevant ages vary by law and by Apple's categories. Check the current definitions.
They are related, but 5.1.4 applies more broadly to apps children may use.
They are separate legal requirements that overlap with Apple's expectations.
Platform rules change often. This page is a plain-language explanation written by AppReviewFix, not official guidance. Check the current App Store Review Guidelines for the exact wording.