Elecronics company Apple recently announced that they will work on more features that will focus children security while using their devices. This is a response to an open letter addressed to the company, stating that the iPhone-makers should think more about the effect their devices are having on kids.
As smartphone technologies advance and users find more and more ways to connect, children's use of the internet and mobile technologies become more of a concern. This is the primary subject of the open letter written by Apple investors, addressed to the company itself. The letter was from Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (Calstrs) who control about $2 billion of Apple's shares.
In their defense, Apple said that they have been working on enhancements that will make it easier for parents to regulate how children use their devices. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal the company said that they "have new features and enhancements planned for the future, to add functionality and make these tools even more robust."
Apple appreciated the concern expressed in the open letter, as they said that they take the issue of mobile addiction in children and young people seriously. They said that they also "think deeply" about how people utilize their products and how they impact the lives of people. They also expressed that protecting children is of special concern to them.
The company pointed out that they have already employed parental controls in their devices as early as 2008. The tools can help parents regulate how children access the internet via Apple iOS devices, by monitoring the videos they watch, music they listen to, and the websites and books they read. They said that everything that children can access or download can be regulated in some way through these parental controls.
