WhatsApp adds new parental controls for teenagers
Key Points
- WhatsApp has launched new parental controls that allow parents to restrict content and features for teens.
- New controls allow parents to receive notifications of certain activity, such as joining Groups or changing profile pictures.
- These new features are still being rolled out and expanded, with WhatsApp stating that this was just the start of improving its teen experience.
- Meta recently reached an $18-billion settlement in a lawsuit over alleged harms done by its algorithms and platforms to children.
WhatsApp has introduced a number of new features aimed at giving parents more control over how their children use the messaging application.
The company has introduced parental controls that allow the parents of teenagers using the application to configure the experience they believe is right for them.
Parents can manage a number of settings that change ways teens use the application, from who can see their profile photo to what sort of content is available to them through the app’s built-in Meta AI.
WhatsApp now also allows parents to be notified of certain activity, such as when a new contact is added, when their teenager joins or leaves a group, or when their profile picture or name is changed.
They can also choose to be notified when a group their teen is in grows significantly in size. Parents will be able to configure what Status updates teens can see and who can see theirs, as well as restrict which Channels they are able to join.
These new parental control features are entirely optional and can be easily set up with a single PIN by the parent. WhatsApp assured users that teen’s chats remain private and protected by end-to-end protection even with parental controls turned on.
“This is just the start. We’re building these controls step by step, based on what families tell us they need,” the company said.
“All of these controls are being designed to support open conversations about how to use WhatsApp between parents and teens, while keeping everyone’s personal messages private.”
The introduction of parental controls comes as WhatsApp and its parent company Meta come under increasing pressure over the effect of their technology on young people.
In August, Meta reached an $18-billion settlement in a lawsuit over alleged harms done by its algorithms and platforms to children.
The company, which was facing accusations that its platforms created an addictive and harmful environment for children, committed to making design changes to its platforms that improve child safety as part of the settlement.
