Apple beefing up child safety as more governments enact, explore social media bans

Apple's new child safety tools are designed to help families "thoughtfully establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits" Photo by yalcinsonat1 /Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Apple Inc. is expanding tools for parents to protect children online, a move that comes as governments around the world increasingly ban social media for young people.

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The iPhone and iPad maker at its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday previewed new features that will let parents better control on devices when kids can use apps, what content they can access and with whom they can communicate.

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Tech companies are under growing pressure to limit children’s exposure to social media, which some psychologists have linked to mental health risks, including cyberbullying, eating disorders and suicide. Apple already lets parents create special accounts for children, required for those under 13 years old and available for those up to 18.

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The updates are designed to help families “thoughtfully establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits,” Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of health and fitness, said on the Cupertino, California-based company’s website.

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Beginning with software updates this fall, parents will be able to use children’s account features to pick which apps they can use and control which websites they can view, for example.

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Australia in December became the world’s first democracy to force the likes of Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok, and Snap Inc. to kick under-16s off their platforms. The movement has since spread globally, with Indonesia, parts of India, the UK and several European countries implementing or discussing similar restrictions.

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Jury verdicts in the U.S. in recent months against some of the services have increased public discussion of social media’s harms.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook called him to discuss the new safety controls.

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“Mr. Cook told me these changes are in part inspired by Australia’s world-leading social media age ban, as well as the continued research Apple is undertaking into the impact of social media on kids,” Albanese said in a statement.

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Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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