Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook has praised the European Union's push for a common child-safety framework, giving Apple a rare point of agreement with regulators it has repeatedly fought over other technology rules. Cook made the comments during a visit to Strasbourg, where he met European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and lawmakers working on children's online safety.
He welcomed the European Parliament's effort to create a "harmonized, Europe-wide framework to keep kids safe." Cook said Apple was encouraged by the discussion surrounding the proposed EU KIDS Act. The comments don't amount to an endorsement of every provision in the proposed law, but they show that Apple supports the EU's broader effort to establish a common approach to protecting children online across its member states.
The European Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act on September 17, with rules covering social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, AI companions, and chatbots. Kids younger than 13 wouldn't be allowed to use social media, while those ages 13 and 14 could use parent-managed "mini accounts" with limited features and a one-hour daily limit. Users could open their own accounts beginning at age 15.
Apple's existing child-safety tools already address many of the same goals, but complying with the KIDS Act wouldn't be automatic. The proposal would establish its own requirements for age assurance, app stores, and parental controls.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing