Apple: Don’t Let Kids Download Dangerous Apps
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Finding apps that are safe for kids is hard and overwhelming. Most parents rely on the age ratings in the Apple App Store when deciding if an app is safe for their child, just like they trust the age ratings for movies, television shows, and video games. The difference is that movie, television ratings, and video game ratings are determined by independent, trusted entities. But for Apple's App Store apps, there is a financial conflict of interest: companies and Apple set the rating, and they both make more money if they reach a larger audience – even if it is by giving the app a lower age rating to reach more children. The result can be biased and deeply misleading ratings that give parents a false sense of safety and expose kids to dangers like online predators and inappropriate content. For example:
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation found that, until recently, an AI nudifying app was rated 4+ on the Apple App Store.
The App Danger project found a significant number of reviews suggesting that Hoop, a social networking app, which is rated 12+ on the Apple App Store, was unsafe for children.
And even mainstream apps can be mislabeled – the state of Iowa recently sued TikTok for rating their app 12+, arguing sexual content, violence, and drug and alcohol content should make the app a 17+ experience.
There’s an easy solution to this problem – Apple must institute an independent, third-party review and verification of app age ratings in the Apple App Store, just like movies, television programs, and video games. These experts would assess the risk to children and give an age rating in the best interest of kids – not the best interest of Apple’s or the app developer companies’ wallets.
Tell Apple we need accurate age ratings on apps now! We need independent, third-party review.
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To:
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Mr. Cook,
Eighty seven percent of U.S. teens have an iPhone, giving them access to nearly two million apps on the Apple App Store. For parents, determining which apps are safe and appropriate for their children is incredibly challenging, in large part because Apple and developers determine ratings with no independent, third-party verification. Parents can trust the ratings on movies, television shows, and video games because they are determined by an independent board acting in the best interest of kids. When developers and device makers get to pick the rating for their app, there can be a financial conflict of interest, and the result can be a misleading rating that gives parents a false sense of security while, at the same time, exposing kids to online dangers like online predators and inappropriate content:
- The National Center on Sexual Exploitation found that, until recently, an AI nudifying app was rated 4+ on the Apple App Store.
- The App Danger project found a significant number of reviews suggesting that Hoop, a social networking app, which is rated 12+ on the Apple App Store, was unsafe for children.
- And even mainstream apps can be mislabeled – the state of Iowa recently sued TikTok for rating their app 12+, arguing sexual content, violence, and drug and alcohol content should make the app a 17+ experience.
Parents and kids need independent, third-party review and verification of Apple App Store age-ratings, just like ratings for movies, television, and video games. Apple has a responsibility to ensure the apps kids are downloading are safe and appropriate. We are calling on you and Apple to implement independent, third-party review and verification of app ratings, now.