New Delhi, Oct. 1: WhatsApp has introduced optional parental controls for teenagers, allowing parents to manage privacy settings, group activity, Channels and Meta AI access.
Announced on Wednesday, the new features aim to help parents and teenagers agree on how to use the messaging platform while protecting personal conversations.
WhatsApp Adds New Parental Controls for Teen Safety
The new controls allow parents to decide who can view their teenagers’ profile photos and add them to groups. Teenagers will need parental approval through a PIN to loosen certain privacy restrictions.
Parents will also receive notifications when their teenagers join or leave groups. They will be alerted when a group’s membership increases significantly.
Additionally, parents can manage their teenagers’ use of Channels and control who can view their Status updates. They can also decide which Status updates their teenagers can access.
WhatsApp has introduced additional controls for teenagers’ Meta AI experience. Parents can choose between the default 13 setting and a stricter Limited Content option.
The company said the controls are entirely optional. Parents can adjust or disable them at any time, depending on their teenagers’ needs.
WhatsApp is rolling out the features gradually and plans to refine them based on feedback from families. The company said the initiative aims to encourage discussions between parents and teenagers about responsible digital habits.
Despite the additional controls, teenagers’ personal messages and calls will remain protected by end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp said neither the company nor outsiders can access or listen to these private communications.
The announcement follows WhatsApp’s earlier introduction of parental tools for younger users. Those features allow parents and guardians to manage communication settings and restrict certain functions, enabling pre-teens to use the platform primarily for messaging and calls.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
