Mother describes the dark side of Apple's Family Sharing feature

6 months ago

Apple's Family Sharing feature can be weaponized by an abusive former partner, as reported by a mother with court-ordered custody.
Family Sharing, introduced in iOS 8, allows a family of up to six members to share purchases, locations, calendars, and photos under one organizer's control.
A significant flaw in Family Sharing is that only one parent (the organizer) has full control, leaving the other parent unable to remove children even with a court order.
Dual admin accounts do not solve the issue, as one admin can remove the other, reverting to the original problem.
Digital purchases and cloud photos are at risk, as they can be lost if the organizer removes access.
Kate's story highlights how her ex-husband used Family Sharing to track and control their children during her custody days, with Apple unable to intervene.
The lack of dual-organizer roles can be dangerous in abusive situations, leaving non-organizer parents powerless.
Apple declined to comment on the issue, and affected parents are often advised to create new Apple IDs, losing access to previous purchases and memories.

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