At Christmas, many young people (and not so young people) will unwrap a new smartphone under the tree. Obviously, after the initial configuration, we hasten to head to the application store to stock up, obviously starting with the essential Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube… However, according to certain organizations which pay particular attention to the online safety of young people, we should be very wary of applications intended for our children.
Beware of applications intended (a priori) for your children
In fact, NGOs Heat Initiative And ParentsTogetherAction decided to analyze a panel of 800 applications available on the Apple AppStore, advertised as suitable for young people. However, several dozen of them quickly raised serious problems regarding their “compatibility” with the youngest.
In total, more than 200 applications, even though they were rated 4+, were rated as “unsafe or inappropriate“. More than 75 of them are related to beauty and the body, with applications that encourage users to stop eating for many hours, while others take care of noting the “beauty” of the user, on a scale of 1 to 10.
Regarding apps related to weight loss/self-image and internet access, “ Almost all apps reviewed have been approved for children ages 4 and up “. Video games are also affected, with around thirty titles certified as appropriate for children aged 4 and over, but which include violence and sometimes even some sexual content.
Among the problematic applications, we also find messaging software, allowing young people to communicate with strangers and/or with an AI. Some applications are designed specifically for young people (“kids”), but can constitute a real nest for pedophiles and other predators. Added to this are applications that allow web browsing to be anonymized, in order to escape certain restrictions. In total, the 200 problematic applications have more than 550 million downloads.
On the Apple side, we promise “work hard to protect user privacy and security, and provide a safe experience for children“. The American giant indicates in particular that more than a million apps have been refused due to shocking, harmful, dangerous or illegal content, and that more than 100,000 applications are evaluated each week by 500 specialists spread across the world. So be wary.
