Apple Defends Parental Controls Following Shareholder Letter, Plans ‘Even More Robust’ Controls

Apple defended its parental control systems after two prominent shareholders wrote an open letter calling on the company to research the impact of smartphones on children, while also promising more robust controls in the future.

In the open letter signed by JANA Partners LLC Managing Partner Barry Rosenstein and Anna Sheehan, the director of corporate governance for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the two proclaimed, “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.”

JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, two prominent shareholders who own around $2 billion in Apple shares, also called on Apple to further research the impact of smartphones on children, citing reports that indicated increasing problems for young people who use technology.

“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” Apple responded in a statement. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple also “added that it is ‘constantly looking’ for ways to improve its devices and said that it plans new features that will make the tools it provides parents ‘even more robust.'”