Apple's Screen Time updates are too little, too late

Apple spending a big chunk of its WWDC keynote on parental controls was surprising for several reasons. But the biggest is that, despite all the airtime, it didn't announce much new beyond a redesigned interface. Almost all the features touted already exist or are upgrades to current options.

Why Apple chose to do this isn't a mystery. You can trace the threads from the recent landmark social media trials against Meta and Google to the protesters outside the Cupertino HQ today: Apple is trying to show the world it's being responsible when it comes to your children. Only it's really not.

Screen Time sucks. As a mother of two whose children have used Apple's Screen Time, I can attest to its inadequacies. The updates to Screen Time, including a new interface and more detailed reports, do not address the core issues with the feature.

Apple's efforts to improve parental controls appear to be a response to growing scrutiny of tech companies' role in protecting children, rather than a genuine attempt to create a useful tool. Why this matters: The lackluster updates to Screen Time have significant implications for parents, developers, and the broader tech industry. For parents, it means that they will continue to struggle with finding effective ways to manage their children's screen time.

For developers, it highlights the ongoing challenge of creating tools that meet the needs of both parents and children. The tech industry as a whole is facing growing pressure to demonstrate its commitment to protecting children, and Apple's half-hearted updates to Screen Time may not be enough to quell concerns. Ultimately, the effectiveness of parental controls like Screen Time will depend on their ability to adapt to the evolving needs of families and to provide meaningful solutions to the problems they face.