A report detailing Apple’s moves raises concerns about its dominance, shines light on quality of Apple’s own parental-control tools for the iPhone.
Apple’s removal of nearly a dozen apps that help users manage screen time raises questions about the company’s dominance and its commitment to helping people stay off their iPhones amid concerns about the negative effects of smartphones, including on children.
A report about the issue by the New York Times on Saturday came just days Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the Time 100 Summit on Tuesday that his company “has never wanted to maximize user time” because it’s “not motivated from a business or values point of view” to do so.
That’s not what developers who have had their apps removed or severely restricted say. They complained to the Times that after Apple released its own screen-time tracker last September, the company began to crack down on similar apps. An Apple spokeswoman told the newspaper the company is actually concerned that the apps were accessing too much customer information.
In addition, Phil Schiller, Apple vice president for worldwide marketing, reiterated to customers that the company’s crackdown is related to privacy concerns.
