Apple recently announced a slew of new child protections and measures that would change how and what kids can see online on their devices.
The changes come after years of continued pressure from parents, advocates, and lawmakers who fear for the safety of children. Utah and other states ' moving to enact legislation requiring age verification and parental consent for all app downloads and purchases spurred Apple's announcement.
Apple Announces Changes for Better Child Protections
The App Store Accountability Act appears to be set to become law in Utah, and many believe that more will follow. Apple just released a set of reforms, headlined "Helping Protect Kids Online," that uses a strategy of "shock and awe."
Legislators nationwide are now asking themselves whether Apple's new changes will actually address the issues identified. While the company has taken some time to solve the problems, according to Deseret, it still comes as a welcome change.
Read more: South Carolina House Passes Bill Proposing Parental Consent for Minors Going On Social Media
The changes are also part of Apple's broader effort to minimize data collection and give parents more control over what is shared with app developers. One of the inclusions is a plan to increase the company's child-safety precautions by streamlining the setup of a child's account with appropriate default settings for children under 13.
There are also the so-called "age assurance tools," including the ability for parents to update their child's account age if they had previously set it incorrectly. Additionally, parents will have the option to consent to sharing their kids' age range with app developers so they can be shown more age-appropriate content in the App Store.
Various New Features
Apple said that with the new feature, parents will feel like they are in charge of their children's safety online. It added that app developers will also have another way of identifying and keeping kids safe within their apps, MSN reported.
Other updates the company announced include more granular app age ratings in the App Store and expanded product page details. The latter was designed to assist parents in making informed decisions about which apps to download for their children.
The age rating system is also being updated and will be expanded from its current four categories to five thresholds. These are ages four plus, nine plus, 13 plus, 16 plus, and 18 plus. These have different restrictions that cater to children within the age ranges for which they are applicable, as per Median AMA.
