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Apple has always thought that parents should have tools to manage the use of devices by their children. That's why we created and continue to develop Screen Time. Other apps from the App Store, including Moment Health's Balance Screen Time and Verizon Smart Family, allow parents to balance the benefits of technology with other activities allowing young minds to learn and grow.
We recently removed several parental control apps from the App Store for one simple reason: they endanger the privacy and security of users. It is important to understand why and how it happened.
Over the past year, we have learned that many of these parental control apps use a highly invasive technology called Mobile Device Management, or MDM. MDM allows a third party to control and access a device and its most sensitive information, including the location of the user, the use of the application, the email accounts, camera permissions and browsing history. We began exploring this use of MDM by non-enterprise developers in early 2017 and updated our guidelines on this basis in mid-2017.
MDM has legitimate uses. Businesses sometimes install MDM on their devices to better control proprietary data and hardware. But it is extremely risky – and a flagrant violation of the policies of the App Store – for a private and consumer-centric application company to install a MDM control on the device of one. customer. Beyond the control that the application can exert itself on the device of the user, research has shown that MDM profiles can be used by hackers to access malicious purposes.
Parents should not have to share their fears about using their kids' devices for privacy and security risks, and the App Store should not be a platform to force that choice. No one but you should have unlimited access to manage your child's device.
When we discovered these violations of the guidelines, we communicated them to the app developers, giving them 30 days to submit an updated app to avoid any interruption of availability in the App Store. . Several developers have released updates to align their apps with these rules. Those who have not been removed from the App Store.
We created the App Store to provide a secure and dynamic market where developers and entrepreneurs can share their ideas with users around the world. Users can be sure that the applications they discover meet Apple's security and accountability standards.
Apple has always supported third-party apps on the App Store that help parents manage their kids' devices. Contrary to what the New York Times reported this weekend, it's not a question of competition. It's a question of security.
In this category of applications, and in each category, we are committed to providing a competitive and innovative application ecosystem. Many highly successful applications offer Apple-like features and services in categories such as e-mail, cards, e-mail, music, web browsers, photos, note-taking apps, and more. contact managers and payment systems. We are committed to providing a place for these applications to thrive, as they enhance the user experience for all.
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