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Apple Planning New, 'Robust' Parental Controls To Help Protect Children, Teens (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: An open letter to Apple from some investors sparked the tech giant to respond by promising new software tools for parents to restrict and monitor their kids' smartphone use. In a report by The Wall Street Journal, Apple states it has plans to create new software features that will make its current parental controls on iPhone and other devices "even more robust." "We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them," Apple said in its statement to The Wall Street Journal. "We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids."
Apple didn't provide details on its planned, improved parental control features, but it did point back to the controls its software has had in place since 2008. The Settings app on every iPhone has a parental control section that allows adults to restrict website access, control in-app purchases, and install or delete apps, among other things. But those existing settings haven't been enough to quell the worries of the investors who wrote an open letter to Apple last week, expressing concern about the effect smartphones can have on kids who are glued to those devices.
Apple didn't provide details on its planned, improved parental control features, but it did point back to the controls its software has had in place since 2008. The Settings app on every iPhone has a parental control section that allows adults to restrict website access, control in-app purchases, and install or delete apps, among other things. But those existing settings haven't been enough to quell the worries of the investors who wrote an open letter to Apple last week, expressing concern about the effect smartphones can have on kids who are glued to those devices.
No, it hasn't. Some shareholders - you know, part owners of the company - made a request and Apple acquiesced. Nobody suggested it replaces parenting, but it's just another tool in the modern age to help parents. Make fun all you want, but many modern parents want their kids to be able to stay in contact and ALSO want to be able to limit time on social media, games, and other apps. My kids are past the age where I would use this, but I had a good set of rules about phone usage and hours they could use it, and I can still see how it could have been another useful, OPTIONAL, tool being made available to HELP parents (not replace them), and you certainly aren't required to use it - so I just don't get the backlash.
Stupid sexy Flanders.