WhatsApp to Introduce Parent-Controlled Accounts for Children Under 13

Dublin: Meta Platforms has announced plans to introduce special parent-controlled accounts on WhatsApp for children under the age of 13, allowing parents to manage how pre-teens use the platform.

Under the new system, which is expected to be rolled out in the coming months, children’s accounts will be limited mainly to messaging and voice calls, with stricter safety and privacy controls in place.

Meta said the initiative follows feedback from parents who wanted a safer way to introduce pre-teens to messaging services while ensuring an online environment appropriate for younger users.

Strong Parental Controls

Parents or guardians will be responsible for creating and managing the child’s account. They will also have the ability to decide who can contact their children, which groups they can join, and how privacy settings are configured.

The company said the accounts will come with strict default safety settings and additional parental controls. Parents will also be able to review message requests from unknown contacts and manage account settings using a secure PIN-protected control system.

Privacy and Security

Meta emphasised that all conversations on the platform will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning that messages and calls cannot be accessed by anyone outside the chat, including the company itself.

To activate the service, the child’s WhatsApp account must be linked to the parent or guardian’s phone account, allowing the parent to oversee activity and manage contact permissions.

Once set up, parents will be able to monitor and control how their child uses the app, including deciding who they can communicate with and which group chats they may participate in.

Irish Samachar English News

Kindly click to join WhatsApp group chat to get important news and breaking news from Irish Samachar