One of the keys to Apple’s success is that while it doesn’t really engage in a public discussion about the flaws of its products, it does pay close attention. Often it will change course, nonchalantly claiming it had always meant to do whatever its new plan turns out to be.
Apple’s App Store — arguably the most important technical development in recent years — resulted, at least in part, from the pressure created by people who were trying to unlock iPhones so they could add their own applications.
Now come new details about the parental control system coming to the App Store.
All iPhone applications will be rated in one of four age categories: 4+, 9+, 12+, or 17+. When Apple announced the coming 3.0 release of its iPhone software, it referred to parental controls for the applications.
Such a system flows naturally from the way use of the iPhone has evolved. My 6-year-old loves playing Hangman and tick-tack-toe on my iPhone, and I know parents of even younger children who find the interface engaging and easy to use. Rating applications by age would give parents some useful guidance.
A rating system for use by parents would also solve some of the anomalies in the App Store. Apple refused to allow applications that play music from Nine Inch Nails or videos from the raunchy American cartoon show “South Park,” even though it sold the same content in the iTunes store. The music and videos have a parental control system already. The company also has rejected a news reading application, reportedly because it links to the topless women in British tabloids.
I assume the new system will allow Apple to accept more applications that it now rejects, on the theory that parents will be able to limit children from getting applications that can give them access to…
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