Apple knowingly allows underage users to access applications intended for adults, according to an investigation by the Technical Transparency Project (TTP).
The information that Apple knows about a user includes their self-declared age, and this project has claimed that age restrictions do not apply in the App Store.
TTP created a user account with a date of birth in February 2007, and tested it to see how well Apple policies were being implemented. The group found that, although the user was only 14 years old, they could download apps such as "Eros: Hook Up & Adult Chat" and "KinkD: Kink, BDSM Dating Life" from the App Store. Both apps are rated +17 by Apple's age rating system, but when a minor user tries to download them, they simply get a pop-up notification asking them to click OK to confirm that they are 17 aged and above.
"The investigation reveals major problems for child safety measures in the App Store, showing how easy it is for young teens to access adult apps that offer dating, erotic chats, casual sex and gambling, even "when Apple knows the user is a minor," the organization said in its report to the company.
These results refute Apple's guarantee that the App Store is a safe place for children.
Apple declined to comment on the report, but a spokesman told the Guardian the company's parental control functions. There, parents can choose which apps children can download, decide how much time they can spend each day on specific apps and sites, and make sure they can only buy or download apps that are right for them.
Source: The Guardian
