The US Patent and Trademark Office has just approved a patent Apple applied two years ago. The patent, titled “Text-based communication control for personal communication device,” is a technology that prevents smartphone users from sending or receiving “objectionable” text messages or what some people would refer as “sexting.”
The patent consists of a “parental control application,” that evaluates whether or not the text message contains “approved text.” For instance, children–unless authorized by their parents–are not allowed to send a text message about their age or grade level. Certain words like “g-spot,” once typed, may create alerts to the user and is required to replace it with a more appropriate vocabulary like “happy.” Failure to do so may cause the whole text message to be deleted.
Of course, users who are bent to sexting will find a way to circumvent the algorithm that runs this system and may create a whole new code on expressing their carnal desires to one another without ticking off the censorship sensors. On a good side, the patent provides a new tool for parents to supervise their children against sexual predators.
Source: TechCrunch
