Apple says it will add ‘robust’ parental tools to iPhones, iPads

Apple said it plans more “more robust” parental controls, responding to a letter from two large investors urging the tech giant to do more to combat smartphone addiction among children.

On Monday, New Yorkbased Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System wrote a letter to Apple expressing concerns the impact smartphones and social media can have on kids.

“We believe there is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help them ensure that young consumers are using your products in an optimal manner,” a portion of the letter reads.

In a statement Tuesday, Apple defended parental controls already available on its devices but also noted it has planned to introduce tools to make them “even more robust.”

“Apple has always looked out for kids, and we work hard to create powerful products that inspire, entertain and educate children while also helping parents protect them online,” their statement reads. “We lead the industry by offering intuitive parental controls built right into the operating system.” The iPhone maker isn’t saying when those controls will roll out.

The investor letter made several proposals for Apple to consider, including establishing an expert committee, offering Apple’s vast information to researchers and enhancing mobile device software so parents have more options to protect their children’s health.