Apple is child proofing iPhones and other devices

At its annual WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) Apple announced that the new iOS 27, iPAD 27 and mac 27 will have a set of new child safety features.

Apple believes that it’s beneficial for kids to have a device to be able to stay in touch with their parents or use apps to help them with school. But they also underlined the importance of child protection when it comes to using a device. 

Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness said: ‘At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe”.

What the feature contains and how it works 

First thing you can do is create a Child Account. This is required for users under the age of 13 and is available up to 18 years of age. It activates safeguards made to match your child’s age and do things like blocking adult websites, making sure only content suitable for their age can be seen, and placing age restrictions on apps in the App Store. 

Then there are the ones that help you oversee what content your child can see:

• Ask to Buy: With this, your child won’t be able to install any app, paid or free, from the App Store without your approval.
  
• Ask to Browse: This one is meant for Safari, and to be able to use it, your child will need to ask you for permission. 

As for managing who your child can communicate with, you can choose who they are allowed to contact through Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. If they want to talk to someone new, they will first need your approval. Communication Safety is enabled in Messages and FaceTime. It automatically blurs nudity and steps in to block or flag any gore or violent content when it appears in shared images or videos. 

You can also control the screen time with:

• Time Allowances: This lets parents set flexible limits on how long their kids can spend in apps like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. The setup also comes with recommendations based on expert research, adapted to fit a child’s age.
  
• Daily Schedules: It allows parents to decide which apps their children can use and when, depending on the time of day or day of the week. School apps can still be used during school hours, while entertainment apps can be restricted to specific times and limited periods of use.
  
• Screen Time: It’s now redesigned to give parents a quick view of how their kids use their devices and which apps they use most. It also lets them easily adjust app and web access on the spot, like limiting use during family time or giving a bit more time when needed.  

How Parents Can Supervise Subtly

Apple has launched a dedicated website to help parents stay informed and learn more, with the latest tools, useful resources, and answers to common questions.  

The features parents can use are:

• Screen Time Passcode Notification alerts you when the Screen Time passcode has been entered on your child’s device.
  
• User Reporting Tool is designed to help parents protect their children and enables users to report harmful content directly to Apple.
  
• Apple Watch For Your Kids is meant for children who don’t have their own iPhone. Through Find My, families can keep track of their location and stay in touch, while kids can still call or message parents and approved contacts when needed.
  
• Schooltime mode helps kids stay focused by blocking notifications and disabling apps.  

UK’s demands for Big companies

The UK government is planning new rules that would force big tech companies such as Apple and Google to stop children from accessing, creating, or sharing explicit images on phones and tablets. Companies would have three months to introduce system-level protections, or face new legislation, which could lead to fines and, as a last resort, criminal liability for tech bosses. The adult users would still be able to access the same content after age checks. 

The idea behind the proposal is to reduce online grooming, sextortion, and exposure to pornography by restricting nude content on devices used by minors. 

The rules would apply not only to new devices but also to those already in use in the UK.