Earlier today, Apple investors published an open letter, “Think Differently About Kids,” asking the company to improve the parental control features in iOS. Apple has now responded to the letter, saying that new features and enhancements are planned for a future update…
First reported by WSJ, Apple’s statement points out that “effectively anything” a child could access online on iOS can be blocked by parents. The company also says, however, that it has “new features and enhancements” planned for the future to improve parental controls.
“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” Apple said in the statement. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”
The company added that it is “constantly looking” for ways to improve its devices and said that it plans new features that will make the tools it provides parents “even more robust.”
At this point, it’s unclear what specific features Apple has planned for improved parental controls. The shareholder letter outlined features that would limit on-screen time, hours of use, improved monitoring, and more.
Currently, iOS offers features that allow parents to turn off features like Siri and FaceTime, as well as set minimum ages for certain content in the iTunes Store. The extent of the new features remains to be seen, but at least we now know that this is an area in which Apple is working.
Source: 9to5mac