Apple to close years-old loophole that lets children bypass parental controls
How does the loophole affect the functionality of Apple’s Screen Time parental control system?
The loophole in Apple's Screen Time parental control system allows children to bypass restrictions and access adult content online5. By simply entering a certain nonsense phrase into the address bar on Safari, kids can disable the Screen Time controls for Safari, giving them access to any content they can think of1. This defeats the purpose of the parental control system, as it exposes children to potentially harmful or inappropriate content that parents intended to restrict.
What actions has Apple promised to take in response to the recent Wall Street Journal report highlighting the bug?
In response to the recent Wall Street Journal report highlighting the bug in Apple's parental controls, the company has promised to fix the issue in the next update to iOS. The loophole, which disables the Screen Time parental control system for Safari, has been present since 2021 and allows children to bypass restrictions and access adult content online. Apple stated that they take reports of issues regarding Screen Time seriously and have been consistently making improvements to ensure users have the best experience. The company will continue to make updates in upcoming software releases.
When was the bug in Apple's parental controls first reported to the company?
The bug in Apple's parental controls was first reported to the company in 2021.