Twitter, eBay, Instagram make ‘Dirty Dozen List’ of businesses profiting off sexual exploitation

Apple app store

Although Apple’s app store has certain protections for minors such as ratings and parental controls, the entity made the Dirty Dozen List for a host of issues regarding user content.

According to the list entry, “Apple’s app descriptions remain vague, hidden, and inconsistent: further jeopardizing our already-at-risk children.”

“Documented dangers on apps such as risky features, exposure to adult strangers (including predators), harmful content, illegal drug activity, concerns about healthy child development, easy access to explicit content, and most recently, an explosion of financial sextortion are not included in the current app descriptions,” continued NCOSE.

“Furthermore, despite knowing the age of the account holder (based on Apple ID), Apple App Store suggests and promotes sex-themed 17+ apps to children … which they can download by clicking a box noting they are 17+.”

Additionally, NCOSE accused Apple of not enforcing its own guidelines on graphic content, and lacking a “system in place to report apps that fail to adequately explain the types of content a user might experience.”