After Criticism, Apple Says iOS Parental Controls Already in Place
Late Monday, Apple defended itself over iOS parental controls. This comes days after two prominent Apple investors criticized the company and demanded it do more to protect children from the ill effects of smartphones, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In a statement, the iPhone maker said its mobile software has included some sort of parental controls for content and applications since 2008 with new features added yearly. It notes:
We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them. We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.
Looking forward Apple explained it is “constantly looking” for ways to make the tools it provides to parents “even more robust.”
On Saturday, Jan. 7, two Apple investors, Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, both criticised the company over parent controls. Each urged the company to develop new software tools to help parents control and limit phone use. Additionally, they asked the company to assist in studying the impact of overuse of smartphones on mental health.
In iOS 11, you can enable and set up controls in the Settings app under General > Restrictions.
As a parent, I’m not sure what else Apple could do in terms of parental controls. What say you? Let us know below.