Apple just updated their developer guidelines for children’s apps, adding new rules regarding kids’ privacy. The update meets the Federal Trade Commission’s latest changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)and shows Apple’s renewed focus on education with iOS7, says blog site MacRumors.
Apple has added a brand-new section, “Kids Apps” with guidelines for developers in its App Store which will set out the company’s policy on advertising, privacy, and use of in-app purchases in iOS apps for kids under 13. Kids’apps must now reflect the new restrictions in the federal COPPA which prevents developers from collecting private, media-related data such as photos or videos. The new guidelines say that apps intended for children under 13 must include a privacy policy. However, they can’t include behavioral advertising. These apps will also require parental permission before letting children link out of the app or purchase something. And another key point states that all apps collecting, transmitting or sharing personal information – name, address, email, photos, drawings, the ability to chat, and so on, will be required to meet all these guidelines. Although the stricter rules, kids under 13 will be able to have their own individual iTunes accounts.
The new Kids category was announced this June at Apple’s WWDC conference. It is said to group all children’s apps which were until now scattered between Education, Games, Books, and Entertainment Categories. The children’s apps market is expanding and offering more and more products by major brands such as Nickelodeon, Disney and BBC, as well as numerous independent developers like Toca Boca and Nosy Crow. According to the latest report by UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, almost all parents having tablets or 91 percent of them admit their kids either use it, or have their own tablet. And 41 percent of them say their kids use the device every day.
