Apple is introducing new child-safety measures that affect how the accounts of minors are set up and what they can see across the App Store. The changes, detailed in a “Helping Protect Kids Online” white paper on Apple’s developer website, highlight how the company is taking steps to better protect young users online. It’s part of a broader effort to minimize data collection and give parents more control over what’s shared with app developers, the company said.
The changes also come amid mounting pressure on tech companies to improve platform safety, as many US states grapple with evolving age-verification requirements for social-media platforms. Lawmakers in a handful of states have proposed bills requiring app stores to prove children’s ages through official identification or receiving parental consent.
In the white paper, Apple said plans to increase its child-safety precautions by streamlining the setup of a child’s account with appropriate default settings for children under 13.Â
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It is adding what the company calls “age assurance tools,” such as the ability for parents to update their child’s account age if they previously set it incorrectly. It also includes an option for parents to consent to share their child’s age range with app developers so they’ll be shown more age-appropriate content in the App Store, but without disclosing exact birth dates or sensitive information.Â
“With this new feature, parents will be even more firmly in the driver’s seat – and developers will have another way to help identify and keep kids safe in their apps,” the company said in the white paper.
Other updates include more granular app age ratings in the App Store and expanded product page details to help parents make informed decisions about app downloads. The app ratings options will move from four thresholds – two of which are for teens – to three rating groups for adolescents: 13+, 16+, and 18+.Â
“This will allow users a more granular understanding of an app’s appropriateness, and developers a more precise way to rate their apps,” Apple said in the paper.
The change could set a precedent, said David McQueen, research director at global technology intelligence firm ABI Research.
“By offering a more streamlined process, Apple’s new initiatives provide parents with the tools to set up controls and safety features accordingly, while apps developers can better target and deliver age-appropriate content, which will result in children’s online activities and experiences being managed more effectively and safely,” McQueen told CNET. “This move from Apple is a significant initiative that will hopefully be the catalyst for others in the industry to follow in the drive towards safeguarding children, and users in general, online.”