Apple faces a complaint from a nonprofit organization to the Federal Trade Commission, alleging the tech giant fails to protect children from harmful content on its platforms.
Apple Faces Child Safety Allegations: Digital Childhood Institute Petitions FTC for Investigation
The Digital Childhood Institute (DCI), a child safety organisation, has requested the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Apple for deceptive practices in its App Store that allegedly put children at risk. The DCI, in collaboration with the Digital Childhood Alliance, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and Protect Young Eyes, among others, has filed a formal complaint with the FTC [1].
The complaint claims that Apple markets certain apps as safe for minors when they are not, fails to enforce necessary parental controls, and allows apps to collect children’s sensitive data, such as location and photos, without parental involvement [1].
Apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Roblox, as well as X, Bluesky, and Reddit, are alleged to contain easy access to mature or explicit material, yet are marketed in Apple's App Store as suitable for minors aged 12 and older [1].
The DCI accuses Apple of a decade of deception regarding its safety failures and knowingly marketing certain apps as safe for minors when they are not [1]. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Apple profits from allowing greater access to these apps and has breached a 2014 consent decree with the FTC that blocked Apple from allowing certain in-app purchases by minors [1].
In response to the allegations, Apple announced an expansion of ways it is working to "protect kids and teens online" in June [2]. However, the coalition advocates claim that Apple's recent safety updates are largely cosmetic and do not address deeper problems [1].
As of August 2025, the FTC has not yet announced or confirmed that it has opened an official investigation into Apple based specifically on the DCI’s complaint [1]. Other recent regulatory and legal scrutiny of Apple focuses more broadly on antitrust and app market competition issues.
The Digital Childhood Institute chair, Melissa McKay, stated that submitting a complaint to the FTC was the next logical step [1]. The DCI is also advocating for App Store accountability legislation.
[1] [Source] [2] [Source] [3] [Source] [4] [Source] [5] [Source]
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