Stories
WhatsApp to Give Parents 'Super Control' Over Children's Online Activity
- •WhatsApp is introducing new parental control features to help parents monitor their teenage children's online activities.
- •Parents will receive instant notifications when their child joins any new group or if a group's membership rapidly increases.
- •Children will not be able to change privacy settings (profile photo, status, group adds) without a parent-set PIN, ensuring parental consent for group joining.
- •Controls extend to WhatsApp Channels and Meta AI, allowing parents to decide which channels children follow and set 'limited content' for Meta AI use for ages 13+.
- •WhatsApp assures that personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted, maintaining children's privacy while providing a safe digital environment.
Key Questions Answered
Setting up a pre-teen account requires placing the parent and child devices side-by-side and scanning a QR code to link them. Once active, parents can supervise messaging and calling, monitor contact activity, approve group invitations, and control privacy settings.
WhatsApp is introducing a 'super control' tool where parents receive instant notifications if their child joins an unknown group or if member numbers increase rapidly. Children cannot independently relax privacy settings like profile photos or statuses without a parent-set PIN, and controls extend to channels and Meta AI use.
No, parents cannot read personal messages or listen to calls. All chats and calls remain fully end-to-end encrypted to protect children's privacy while providing a safe digital environment.
