If you’re an avid Discord user, you know that the app just put iPhone users at the kids’ table, the group chat service quietly announced on Tuesday that, going forward, it will block iOS users whether or not they are 18 and older, from accessing Not Safe For Work (NSFW) servers on the iOS Discord app in an effort to “to comply with Apple’s policies.
Apple has strict guidelines regarding the content on Apps listed in their Appstore, Telegram users on iOS can also not view channels with NSFW content. Apple’s iOS Developer Guidelines say that apps with user-generated content “that end up being used primarily for pornographic content do not belong on the App Store.”
Back in 2018, Apple removed the iOS Tumblr blogging app from the AppStore at the time, Tumblr saying it was due to “media featuring child sexual exploitation and abuse” that had slipped through its automated filters. Weeks later, though, Tumblr decided to ban all adult content from the service, a move that preceded a quick return to the iOS App Store.
Is the iPhone the Best Smartphone to Buy For Your Kid?
So you’ve decided it’s time for the kids to get a phone, from the above read, you know Apple goes nuts about porn and piracy, does this mean that their OS is best suited for kids? I dived deep into content filtering on the OS and here’s a short summary of what I discovered.
On the iPhone, apps may show user-generated adult content (with some restrictions), as long as such content is not the main purpose of the app.
So a “porn browser” would not be available but an “internet browser” is. However, iOS allows you to block an entire app from accessibility on the iPhone, you can also limit access to sites and content based on an age rating in browsers like Safari.
In the App Store, you can put an age limit on the types of apps your child can see and download.
This is not a comparison article but Android is pretty notorious for a lack of filtering. Apple offers some web filtering. In Restrictions settings on the device, you can choose one of three options:
- “All Websites”
- “Limit Adult Content”
- “Specific Websites Only”
Selecting Limit Adult Content provides blocking of obvious websites that might contain adult content. It does not block access to all adult content. Additionally, if your child figures out your PIN, all websites are accessible.
There are also third-party software solutions for both Android and Apple which provide filtering but if your kid can figure out your PIN, I’m pretty sure they can uninstall these too, lols.
The iPhone is pretty safe, however, regardless of which smartphone you buy, educate your child about the dangers of today’s online world. Violence, Pornography, Sexting, Cyber Bullying, your child will be exposed to eventually. Educating your kid is the only long-term solution.
