Perspective: Apple’s new protections for kids don’t go far enough

After years of applied pressure and even begging from parents, advocates and lawmakers, Apple has suddenly decided to fix failures in its child safety features. Why now?

Simple. Utah and other states are moving to enact legislation that requires age verification and parental consent for all app downloads and purchases. What we call the App Store Accountability Act appears poised to become law in the Beehive State and will likely follow in others, and Apple is paying close attention. The company has released a set of reforms it headlined “Helping Protect Kids Online,” and its strategy of “shock and awe” seems to be working.

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