Communications of the ACM
Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction
Over the past year, Apple has removed or restricted at least 11 of the 17 most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps.
Credit: Chris Gash
Over the past year, Apple has removed or restricted at least 11 of the 17 most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps; the company has also clamped down on several lesser-known apps.
In some cases, Apple forced companies to remove features that allowed parents to control their children's devices or that blocked children's access to certain apps and adult content, while other apps were simply pulled from the App Store.
Apple said it removed or required changes to the apps because they could gain too much information from users' devices; the timing of the removals was unrelated to Apple's introduction of similar tools, according to a company spokesperson.
However, the app makers believe they are being targeted because their products could hurt Apple's business; they say the company's tools are not as aggressive about limiting screen time as theirs, and do not provide as many options for users.
From The New York Times
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