ChatGPT Just Changed the App Store Game, But What About Parental Controls?

Caveat: We’re writing this article from the perspective of digital literacy and internet safety advocates for youth and teens. While ChatGPT wasn’t designed specifically for younger users, the reality is that many are already using it, and that trend will only continue.

It seems that every other day, OpenAI is introducing new functionality into ChatGPT. Yesterday (Oct 6th) OpenAI launched a new feature called “Apps” inside ChatGPT. These aren’t apps you download, they are apps you access and talk to through ChatGPT. (1)

That might sound like a small shift, but it’s actually a major turning point. It means anyone using ChatGPT, including youth and teens, will no longer need to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to find or install any new app or game. Everything could soon live inside one window within ChatGPT. We predict that given the increased use of AI, current and future app developers are going to work quickly to integrate their apps into this new ChatGPT functionality.

Currently, the following apps are available; Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify and Zillow. Open AI has announced that other applications  like Alltrails, DoorDash, Khan Academy, Instacart, Peloton, OpenTable, Target, TheFork, Tripadvisor, Thumbtack, and Uber are scheduled to be released soon, and we guarantee thousands more will hop on board. 

From a convenience standpoint, this integration makes sense. However, from a parenting perspective, it raises serious questions that OpenAI may not have fully considered. These companies are moving fast and aren’t afraid to break things, the problem is, what gets broken could be our kids if proper age safeguards and parental oversight aren’t built in. If history is any indication, this new feature may follow that same pattern.

Most parental control tools, whether through Apple’s Screen Time, Google Family Link, or third-party software, work by restricting access to specific apps or downloads. They’re not perfect, but at least they offer a layer of protection. If your child can’t install an app, they can’t use it. But what happens when all of those apps now live inside ChatGPT? Shopping apps, learning tools,  gaming apps,  productivity software apps,  entertainment apps,  even social platforms, all integrated into a conversational interface powered by ChatGPT. Suddenly, the old method of “app blocking” becomes almost useless. You can’t restrict what doesn’t need installing.

After experimenting with this new feature, one thing becomes clear, to use each app inside ChatGPT, you must sign into the app with a username and password. That means ChatGPT, or more accurately, OpenAI, now becomes the middle layer between you and those third-party services. However, because ChatGPT will handle the sign-in process, does this means it will have access to your login credentials as a thirdparty, or at the very least, to your authentication tokens? Will OpenAI also be able to see the interactions I am having with an app, and will they be harvesting those interactions for teaching it’s Large Language Model or for targeted monetization?

For adults, this raises real privacy and security implications. For kids, it introduces an even bigger concern,  they may not fully understand what information they’re giving away or how it could be used.

OpenAI says it will curate what’s available within its app ecosystem. However, parents and caregivers have heard this before. Every platform from Snapchat, to TikTok, to YouTube Kids, to Roblox, eventually expands, gets exploited, or commercialized.

This new feature could also possibly mean that  one company could soon act as the gateway to nearly everything digital and what users, including kids see, ask, learn, and do online.

That’s an enormous amount of influence. Unlike Apple or Google, which have built-in parental frameworks and long histories managing app ecosystems, ChatGPT’s new ecosystem is still in its early stages with few if any parental controls in place that we could see.

If your child opens ChatGPT, it may appear they’re “just chatting.” But that same window could soon become a space where they shop, code, create, play, or connect, all without leaving the app. That’s not inherently bad. AI has incredible educational and creative potential. However, it also means traditional monitoring tools can’t see what’s happening inside.

Until parental controls evolve to match this new model, the safest approach is not to allow a youth or younger teen to use ChatGPT without supervision. This isn’t about fearing AI, it’s about understanding that digital parenting must evolve just as fast as the technology our kids use.

The arrival of ChatGPT Apps is a clear challenge to Apple’s App Store and Google Play’s dominance. It’s a massive step forward in innovation, and we believe a massive leap in responsibility.

However, the moment you (or your child) start logging into third-party apps within ChatGPT, the privacy landscape changes. OpenAI becomes the new gatekeeper not only of what’s accessed, but how it’s accessed, and what may be collected.

What we found interesting is what OpenAI stated in their public release about what is next with this new app feature:

"Later this year, we’ll launch apps to ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and Edu. We’ll also open submissions so developers can publish their apps in ChatGPT, and launch a dedicated directory where users can browse and search for them. Apps that meet the standards provided in our developer guidelines will be eligible to be listed, and those that meet higher design and functionality standards may be featured more prominently—both in the directory and in conversations.

We’ll also share details on monetization soon, including support for the new Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard that enables instant checkout in ChatGPT.

This is just the start of apps in ChatGPT, bringing new utility to users and new opportunities for developers."

As parents, educators, and policymakers, we need to beat the drums louder to ask new questions about transparency, safety, and control when it comes to AI. Why? because as the app store model gives way to an AI-driven world, one thing becomes clear, our tools for digital supervision must catch up, or they’ll become obsolete.

Our message to parents and caregivers:

"Be present, stay curious, talk about what your child is using, and why, especially when it comes to their use of AI!"

Postscript: OpenAI is following a playbook honed by Apple, with the goal to transform its product into a platform that developers can leverage and users will rely on to meet more of their needs. We believe this move hints at what OpenAI has been promising, a new device positioned to rival the iPhone and Android. What makes those devices so powerful is their app stores, which turn a phone into a multifunctional entertainment and communication tool. With ChatGPT’s new in-app ecosystem, OpenAI’s upcoming device, whatever form it takes, could offer the same capabilities, and if it includes phone functionality, a traditional smartphone may no longer be necessary. Can you say "disruption" ? Just saying!

Digital Food For Thought

The White Hatter

Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech

References:

1/ https://openai.com/index/introducing-apps-in-chatgpt/