Parental Control App Developers Urge Apple to 'Put Kids First' by Releasing Screen Time API

Over a dozen parental control app developers have come together with a shared message for Apple: it's "time to put kids first."

time to put kids first screen time api
Together, they have launched a new website called Screen Time API that urges Apple to release a public API granting developers access to the same functionalities that iOS 12's Screen Time feature uses. The developers have even proposed their own API, complete with samples of code and a diagram of how it would work.

"Protecting children online and teaching them good technology use habits are some of the biggest challenges facing modern parents," the developers plea. "That's why developers need a cross platform, open screen time API."

The website, shared by The New York Times and The Verge, is a joint effort by OurPact, Kidslox, Qustodio, Screen Time Labs, Safe Lagoon, MMGuardian, Boomerang, Family Orbit, Netsanity, unGlue, Mobicip, Activate Fitness, Parents Dans Les Parages, Lilu, FamilyTime, Bosco, and Tittle.

The developers were encouraged to act by Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive known as the "Father of the iPod." Fadell backed the developers in a series of tweets, and according to The New York Times, he also said he would help "push" their message "out to the world," adding "just make sure it's done BEFORE WWDC."

The campaign comes a month after The New York Times reported that Apple had removed or restricted many of the most popular screen time and parental control apps on the App Store since launching its own Screen Time feature in iOS 12 last year, raising concerns over potentially anticompetitive behavior.


Apple was quick to respond, stating that it became aware over the last year that some parental control apps were using a technology called Mobile Device Management or "MDM" that puts users' privacy and security at risk.

"Contrary to what The New York Times reported over the weekend, this isn't a matter of competition," wrote Apple. "It's a matter of security."

MDM technology is intended for enterprise users to manage their company-owned devices, and Apple says the use of MDM by consumer-focused apps carries privacy and security concerns that resulted in Apple addressing the situation in its ‌App Store‌ review guidelines in mid-2017.

Apple added that when it found out about these ‌App Store‌ guideline violations, it communicated with the necessary developers, giving them 30 days to submit an updated app to avoid being removed from the ‌App Store‌.

Many developers quickly refuted parts of Apple's press release, with OurPact claiming that its parental control app for children was removed from the ‌App Store‌ on October 6, 2018 without any prior communication from Apple, just three weeks after iOS 12 was publicly released with Screen Time.

apple screen time screen icons
Three other developers added that Apple was slow to respond and did not provide any resolution for the sudden guideline violations.

Apple has yet to indicate whether it will release a public API for Screen Time. While it is certainly possible that Apple could announce that it will offer such an API at its WWDC 2019 keynote next week, on short notice, no rumors have indicated that the API is coming in the initial release of iOS 13.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases Firmware Updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday November 11, 2024 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released firmware updates for both AirPods 4 models (version number 7B20) and the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases (version number 7B21). All of these AirPods models were previously on firmware version 7B19. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in firmware versions 7B20 and 7B21, but we will update this story if we find...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Camera Modules to Enter Mass Production Next Month

Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:56 am PST by
Apple's camera module supplier for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is set to begin mass production of the components in December, according to a new report coming out of Korea. Economic newspaper Ajunews reports that LG Innotek will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly fourth-generation device. Final tests are now said to be underway, with mass production of the module following...
airpods pro spring blue

Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:01 am PST by
A trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds. A few months after the AirPods Pro came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, ...
iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit

Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025

Tuesday November 12, 2024 1:09 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers...
new mac holiday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Monday November 11, 2024 7:45 am PST by
Black Friday is getting closer, and prices on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini computers have started to drop as the shopping holiday nears. These deals include the latest models of the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site...
maxresdefault

M4 Max MacBook Pro: Real-World Usage Tests

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:59 am PST by
Apple last week replaced the M3 Max MacBook Pro with the new M4 Max MacBook Pro, and we picked up one of the new high-end MacBook Pro machines to see how it compares to the prior model with both benchmarks and real-world tests. We tested an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 48GB RAM against an M3 Max MacBook Pro with similar specs. The two machines look similar, but the display on...
iOS 18

Here's Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 3

Monday November 11, 2024 4:53 pm PST by
Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers for testing today. While the third betas of each update are minor relative to the first two betas, there are still a handful of changes across the Photos app, TV app, and more. A corresponding iOS 18.2 public beta with these changes will likely be released later this week, and Apple previously confirmed that the software...
final cut pro magnetic mask

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

Wednesday November 13, 2024 3:02 pm PST by
Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11. Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with ...

Top Rated Comments

danuff Avatar
71 months ago
Speaking from a developer point of view, why should WE be responsible for the length of time that a kid (or anyone) spends time in one of our apps? Apple has made an app for parents to control the amount of time that a device has to be a babysitter for their kid. It should be the parent's responsibility to learn that app and set limits for THEIR child, or did I read this article wrong?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
realtuner Avatar
71 months ago
Ah, yes. Time to pull at the heart strings and make this about the kids.

Just like government wants to use terrorists as an excuse to require Apple to make a way for them to monitor encrypted messages.

Always gotta find that one "cause" to justify what you're asking for.
[doublepost=1559322578][/doublepost]
Speaking from a developer point of view, why should WE be responsible for the length of time that a kid (or anyone) spends time in one of our apps? Apple has made an app for parents to control the amount of time that a device has to be a babysitter for their kid. It should be the parent's responsibility to learn that app and set limits for THEIR child, or did I read this article wrong?
Because some developers want to make money by offering a service similar to what Apple already offers for free. And they expect Apple to modify iOS so they can do so.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ocyrus Avatar
71 months ago
I don't get it.

They want to be able to control the system with an app that the parents install?

Theres no way Apple lets apps control the whole system like that. It's a hack waiting to happen.

It would be better for Apple to release better parental controls.

Or you know, don't buy your 13 year old an iPhone/iPod? Just a thought.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
[AUT] Thomas Avatar
71 months ago
Parental control tools are the best way to teach kids how to bypass censorship, so they learn about VPN, proxies, remotedesktops,...

(IMHO, parenting doesn't happen via MDM, firewalls,...)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nostaws Avatar
71 months ago
Have you used screentime? You can do what you’ve described. You can make your kids iPhone into a phone and nothing else.

I keep my kids phone and iMessage on all the time. And limit access to other apps. I have multiple kids and depending on the age appropriateness of screen-time hours and social media my kids graduate to more access and services.

I’m actually quite happy with screen time. My biggest complaint is the layout of the parental side. It’s clunky. I’d personally like to see it in its own polished stand alone app. It is hard for me to recommend to a non techie person.

I’m pretty pro developer. I don’t have a problem with Apple keeping this one close to home.

I would like to see a master switch that would disable EVERYTHING except for telephone. No texting, no calculator, no camera, no location, basically make it a simple telephone and that's it. Guarded behind a special password that doesn't relate to anything else in the phone. Hook it into a timer function, so that it can go into lockdown at a scheduled time and place.

I don't want to pick apart the phone and find this and that. Let's lay it out like my electrical panel in the house. A big fat master switch, followed by individual settings.

If you wanted to make it sexy, force a voice pattern detection instead from one of the parents to compare against a pre-recorded message.

As a parent, I know that the world is different than when I grew up. Go to a shopping mall, and show me the pay phones. If you want to come to my high school, I can show you where the pay phones once were, and are now gone. Not all homes have land lines anymore, either, and using someone's cell phone is somewhat personal.

It makes financial sense for parents to pass down their older iPhones to the next generation.

Dad
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Manchesterca Avatar
71 months ago
Let's be clear here, this isn't an altruistic campaign, these are specific apps that want root level control of an operating system to monitor everything.

The fact that they backdoored a system to jerry-rig this to work in their apps in the first place, doesn't help their case.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)