The App Store is NOT a Safe Place for Kids!

Apple Is Failing Our Kids: It’s Time to Vote with Our Wallets

Apple is a name synonymous with innovation, sleek design, and user-friendly technology. But its reputation for safety, especially where children are concerned, is taking a serious hit. Despite its promises to create a “safe place for kids,” Apple is falling far short when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable users of its App Store. The issue isn’t a minor oversight—it’s a systemic failure that endangers millions of children while Apple continues to rake in billions of dollars.

A new report by Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action has uncovered a shocking truth: Apple’s App Store hosts hundreds of apps that are either outright dangerous or wholly inappropriate for kids. In just 24 hours of research (read full report here), over 200 apps were found to contain troubling content—despite being rated suitable for children as young as 4. These apps ranged from sexualized games to anonymous chat platforms rife with predators, diet apps promoting starvation, and violent video games encouraging criminal activity​​.

Even the Wall Street Journal covered this report and stories from a parent who has been impacted.

The problem isn’t simply the presence of these apps; it’s Apple’s negligence in rating and regulating them. Apps approved for young children include games with “XXX spicy” features, chat apps that connect kids with adult strangers, and body-image apps that encourage unhealthy behaviors. Alarmingly, the system Apple relies on for age ratings is essentially self-regulated, allowing developers to determine how their own apps are categorized. Apple, meanwhile, profits from this lack of oversight: its App Store generated 20% of the company’s operating income in 2022 alone.

A Parent’s Nightmare

For parents, this negligence feels like a betrayal. The App Store is supposed to be a trusted marketplace, but it’s clear that trust is misplaced. Imagine downloading what you believe to be an innocent drawing app for your 6-year-old, only to find it laced with sexualized or violent imagery. 

Or consider an app that connects your preteen with strangers under the guise of social networking, exposing them to sextortion scams or grooming attempts. These aren’t hypothetical scenarios—they are documented cases from the report.

The impact of this failure is enormous. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, kids aged 8–12 already spend about five hours a day on screens, with teens averaging nine hours. If those hours are spent on harmful apps, the risks of exposure to sexual content, disordered eating, and violent imagery grow exponentially. Yet, despite the widespread use of its devices by children, Apple has done little to address the problem.

Profits Over Protection

Apple’s public messaging is a masterclass in marketing. The company claims to review every app for compliance and boasts of being “a safe place for kids.” But the reality is far murkier. The age ratings on the App Store are not determined by independent experts or child development specialists. Instead, developers answer a few questions about their app’s content, and Apple assigns a rating based on their responses.

This creates a glaring conflict of interest. Developers benefit financially from assigning lower age ratings because it broadens their audience. Apple, too, has little incentive to tighten controls because it also profits from more downloads. The company avoids accountability by placing the legal burden for misrating apps squarely on developers.

Parents, meanwhile, are left navigating a minefield. Apple’s lax enforcement has allowed the App Store to become a gateway for harmful content under the guise of kid-friendly entertainment. This failure is compounded by Apple’s refusal to engage third-party reviewers to verify ratings or establish transparent standards.

Solutions Apple Won’t Implement

The Heat Initiative report makes it clear that solutions exist. Apple could implement a third-party oversight system for age ratings, as other industries have done. The Motion Picture Association rates films, the Entertainment Software Rating Board evaluates video games, and television shows are reviewed by independent parental guideline boards. Apple, a trillion-dollar corporation, could easily follow suit.

Additionally, Apple could invest in AI-driven content moderation tools to flag potentially harmful apps and establish stricter consequences for developers who misrepresent their apps. But these steps would likely cut into profits, and Apple’s track record shows a greater interest in preserving its bottom line than protecting kids.

What We, Parents, Can Do

Corporations like Apple rarely change unless forced to do so by public outcry or financial consequences. That’s where we, as consumers, come in. If Apple refuses to prioritize the safety of its youngest users, then it’s time to hit the company where it hurts: its wallet.

Parents, educators, and concerned individuals should consider opting out of the Apple ecosystem entirely. Alternatives exist. Companies like Google and Microsoft, while not perfect, have shown greater willingness to invest in parental controls and content moderation tools. Supporting platforms with stronger safety measures sends a clear message that profits cannot come before children’s well-being.

Moreover, advocacy (click here to join the HEAT Rallystarter) and legislative pressure can play a crucial role. Governments worldwide are beginning to crack down on tech companies, demanding accountability for harmful content on their platforms. Apple should not be exempt from this scrutiny. Parents can join or support advocacy groups like the Heat Initiative, which works to hold tech giants accountable for the safety of their products.

Listen to my AboutCONSENT™ podcast episode, with HEAT CEO Sarah Gardner, that dropped in May to learn more about the Heat Initiative and all the issues they’re championing as it relates to Apple and stay tuned for a more in-depth deep dive about the App Store, and all the laundry list of issues Apple needs to resolve.

The Business of Change

Apple’s failure to ensure a safe App Store is more than a tech issue—it’s a societal one. As the dominant distributor of apps for children in the United States, Apple has an outsized influence on what kids consume online. By allowing harmful apps to proliferate, the company is putting millions of children at risk.

But we don’t have to accept this status quo. As consumers, we have the power to demand better. Whether by switching to alternative platforms, supporting regulatory efforts, or amplifying the voices of advocacy groups, we can push for change.

Apple has made its priorities clear, and they don’t include the safety of our children. Until that changes, I’m opting out. The safety of our kids is non-negotiable, and it’s time we hold Apple accountable—not just with words, but with our dollars.