GLENN FLEISHMAN 20 September 2024

Apple has tightened how children in Family Sharing groups are protected against viewing or sending media that an on-device algorithm detects contains nudity. Starting in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, and watchOS 11, children under 13 will have to enter the Screen Time password to proceed past a warning. Children aged 13 to 17 with Communication Safety enabled for their accounts in Family Sharing will continue to receive just a warning. This new requirement creates a new kind of parent or guardian conversation with children over what a family’s adults think is appropriate to send and receive.

When Apple first announced plans to add several features to improve the safety and well-being of children using its operating systems and services, there was a backlash from child-safety and LGBTQIA+ advocates and electronic privacy organizations. As first described, several important groups felt Apple’s plans could expose some children to greater harm and break the company’s promise of privacy to its customers (see “FAQ about Apple’s Expanded Protections for Children,” 7 August 2021).

Apple quickly backpedaled from its initial plans (see “Apple Explains Pullback from CSAM Photo-Scanning,” 6 September 2023). Over the next three years, the company rolled out only one significant change: Communication Safety (see “Apple Releases iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, macOS 12.1 Monterey, watchOS 8.3, and tvOS 15.2,” 13 December 2021). Available only within Family Sharing, it could be enabled for children aged 17 or younger. Communication Safety uses on-device analysis of images and video to detect what appears to be nudity in incoming and outgoing communications. If detected, a warning is displayed to all children; children under 13 receive additional suggestions to consult a parent, guardian, or trusted adult. Kids can dismiss these warnings.

Communication Safety first appeared only for images in Messages in iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, macOS 12.1, and watchOS 9. In iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 13 Sonoma, and watchOS 10, Apple added the capability to detect video in other communication channels—depending on your device—including AirDrop, Contact Posters, video, and FaceTime video messages.

In its initial proposal in 2021, Apple planned to offer parents of children under 13 an option to receive a notification if their child sent or received sensitive images, then labeled with the more charged term of images of a “sexual nature.” When Communication Safety rolled out, Apple consistently referred to “nudity” or “naked photos or videos.” This wording change removed a value judgment on the activities, as nudity can be sexual, nonsexual, or hard to define. (Some people interpret every naked picture of an adult as sexual, while others rely on context to determine whether an image has a sexual subject matter or sexualizing intent.)

Because an algorithm does this recognition, there’s a chance for false positives. For instance, a scene of children in a pool could be marked as “nudity” even if all the kids were wearing suits. Or a video that contained—or seemed to contain—exposed skin might have no nudity at all. The algorithm is proprietary and hidden, so it would require significant effort to probe its accuracy from the outside.

Starting in the operating system versions released last week (see “When Should You Upgrade to Apple’s 2024 OS Releases,” 16 September 2024), children under 13 will no longer receive just a warning. They will also have to enter the Screen Time passcode for their account. It’s an interesting decision on Apple’s part: Screen Time isn’t mandatory for children’s accounts, though Apple encourages it. A parent might create a guessable passcode or provide it to their offspring, with the child knowing that a parent has some visibility into what they do through Screen Time reports. (It’s not clear to me if parents will otherwise be informed when the Screen Time password is used for this bypass; I believe not.)

This requirement for the Screen Time password changes the equation on Apple’s original plan. Where in 2021, Apple proposed that a child’s device would rat them out, demonstrating a lack of trust by Apple and the parent, however justified, this new approach requires consultation. Either an under-13 will be deterred—“Oh, I shouldn’t do that!”—or they will need to talk with the adult with the Screen Time passcode, a scenario made plausible when the image or video is falsely marked as containing nudity or in cultures or households that have different attitudes on non-sexualized nudity.

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 13 Sonoma, and watchOS 10, Communication Safety is enabled by default for all Family Sharing accounts for people under 17. The Family Sharing Owner or an account set as Parent/Guardian can toggle the setting in iOS and iPadOS in Settings > Family > Child Name > Screen Time > Communication Safety or in macOS via System Settings > Screen Time > Family Member > Child Name > Communication Safety.

Overall, this change seems reasonable in that it provides another check for children under 13 without making things more difficult or uncomfortable for older teenagers. It also keeps control in the hands of parents without turning Apple into a morality or policy enforcer.