Just ahead of its new education initiative, Apple has updated the App Review Guidelines, adding new sections and rules specifically targeting child safety.
Among the changes to Apple’s App Review Guidelines, first reported by MacRumors, is a new rule pertaining to the U.S. government’s expansion of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
That federal statute specifically dictates the information that websites and apps can collect about a child under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. Apple’s new regulations disallow developers from harvesting photos, video or audio from an underage user.
17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children’s privacy statutes.
Developers are also barred from including target ads to young children, and must ask for permission from parents before linking out of an app.
The new rules also add limitations regarding gambling apps, significantly those that offer game credits or currency via in-app purchases.
The new changes come as Apple is gearing up its iPad in education push, which recently saw the company allowing children under 13 years old to hold an iTunes account. Pre-teens were previously restricted from holding a personal account.
