Over the last month, there’s been some controversy between Apple and iOS developers who make parental control apps that use mobile device management (MDM). Most recently, Apple said it was only going to allow parental control apps that didn’t use MDM, but now “in limited cases” it will let developers use the solution.
At the end of April, Apple’s Phil Schiller made the announcement about the company cutting off developers of parental control apps that use MDM. He wrote in an email (via MacRumors):
A few days later, one of the apps that was removed, OurPact, called Apple’s statement on the matter “misleading.”
Apple then responded to that and other similar criticism from parental control app developers who felt the move was unfair. It seemed the company wasn’t going to change course as it repeated much of what VP Phil Schiller previously shared.
However, with the latest App Store Developer Guidelines, Apple has indeed opened back up the possibility of using MDM for parental control apps. It does note “in limited cases” though, so it may come down to a case by case basis.
The stipulation that MDM apps “may not sell, use, or disclose to third parties any data for any purpose, and must commit to this in their privacy policy” lines up with the new guideline that all kids’ apps may not contain any third-party advertising or analytics software.
