Title: Foundation Warentest Blasts Apple's Products
Apple's child protection features, intended to safeguard children from inappropriate content, fall short according to Stiftung Warentest's research. The organization points out two significant security gaps, suggesting that Apple lacks sufficient attention to child welfare concerns.
Parents can effortlessly set up child accounts within Apple's family group, regulate app usage, and establish time limits. However, Apple's 'Assistive Access' feature presents a loophole, enabling children to bypass established restrictions on certain apps. This function, designed for individuals with cognitive disabilities, fails to live up to its child protection claims. Parents may lock 'Assistive Access' with a code, yet children can easily reset it, as Apple has yet to address this issue in recent operating system versions.
Stiftung Warentest's testing revealed that children could bypass time restrictions for popular apps like Candy Crush and Signal. Apple, in response, acknowledged that Assistive Access currently doesn't support the Screen Time feature but claimed to investigate these allegations.
Furthermore, Stiftung Warentest discovered that Apple's content and age restrictions in Screen Time fail to prevent access to undesirable content on platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. Stiftung Warentest advises using Apple's Screen Time features despite their limitations, as they generally work effectively.
Apple emphasized that content restrictions only apply to Apple's own apps. Developers may use Apple's interface to filter content, but parental awareness of this limitation is crucial to prevent misconceptions and misuse.

Although Apple's Screen Time has imperfections, Stiftung Warentest suggests the following tips for enhanced protection:
- Set up and protect 'Assistive Access' with a code to limit app permissions.
- Prevent children from installing apps, allowing only age-appropriate options.
- Establish time limits and age restrictions for apps and content.
- Exclude certain apps from children's use.
- Disable in-app purchases with a password beyond children's reach.
- Explore additional Screen Time settings to customize protection.
For parents seeking additional measures, parental control apps and Supervised Mode are recommended options to bolster Apple's child protection features, reducing the risk of bypass or circumvention.
The Foundation for the Test of Goods, Stiftung Warentest, found that Apple's 'Assistive Access' feature, intended to help individuals with cognitive disabilities, poses a challenge in the realm of child protection. Despite parents locking 'Assistive Access' with a code, children can easily reset it, showing a need for Apple to address this issue in future operating system versions.

