Web filtering considerations for Apple iOS devices

Overview

This guidance outlines the key considerations for Apple iOS devices due to the enhanced privacy features in Apple products and services and the necessary considerations around schools statutory safeguarding responsibilities and measures.

This guidance should be used in conjunction with the web filtering and online safeguarding standard and the relevant deployment guides for your filtering product/service.

It contains additional measures and considerations that school leaders should consider when using Apple iOS devices. For further support and help on how best to implement this guidance, please contact your education technology support partner.

Unmanaged iOS devices cannot provide adequate safeguarding controls. It is essential that all Apple iOS devices are enrolled and managed in a mobile device management (MDM) solution, ideally with automated device enrolment for automated configuration and consistency. It is strongly recommended that all iOS devices have authenticated use setup by default.

Schools should ensure that Apple School Manager and Apple Classroom are used for centralised management of devices, user accounts, and to assist with the management and monitoring of a learner’s progression and schoolwork during the classroom.

An MDM solution will enable schools to personalise access for learners, practitioners, and staff while maintaining control over account management and app distribution with Managed Apple Accounts.

In Apple School Manager, managed Apple accounts are owned and managed by the school and are designed to support your safeguarding considerations, including the ability to manage what learners, practitioners, and staff can access and any controls or limitations you wish to configure.

To enable schools to have sufficient visibility of learners’ web activity a safeguarding app, such as a replacement browser, should be used in place of other browsers (such as Safari, Chrome etc.). This safeguarding app should enforce web access policies and prevent access to unauthorised content, by analysing URLs, search terms and web content. Schools should also consider monitoring solutions with comprehensive reporting capabilities to detect and address potential safeguarding, security or policy concerns.

Additional considerations when using Apple iOS devices

It is recommended that schools take time to consider and assess the configuration options available in the Apple Managed App Configuration to enforce settings and policies within managed apps, and apps installed using MDM. Schools can distribute free, paid and custom apps wirelessly using an MDM solution, and manage the flow of data, providing the right balance between the school’s security and safeguarding considerations and user personalisation.

In cases where devices are used by multiple users and cannot be authenticated, safeguarding alerting or reporting cannot identify a user and are therefore significantly less effective. In this instance, schools should consider additional safeguarding controls, for example increased staff supervision.

Due to the privacy and security features of the iOS operating system, it is not possible for a safeguarding app to view and sufficiently control activity in other apps. Care should be taken when assessing the apps which are allowed on school devices.

When approving apps, the following should be taken into consideration:

1. Does the app open links in a web browser? If so, will it use the default browser, and therefore be filtered?
2. Does the app contain an embedded web browser? If so, it may allow unfiltered web access and consideration should be given to how the web access is limited using built in filtering controls.
3. Does the app permit access to other content which may need to be controlled, for example videos or chat? In this case, the app may have its own additional controls, or alternatively may not be suitable for a school environment.

Many apps can be accessed via a web browser instead (you might use a Web clip to allow users quick access), which allows a monitored browser to sufficiently view and control user activity to enhance safeguarding measures.