WhatsApp Unveils Strict Parental Controls to Head Off Looming Age Laws – CNET

WhatsApp announced in a blog post on Wednesday that it’s rolling out a new suite of parental controls to prevent teens from seeing content their parents may not want them to access. The tools let parents choose who can see an underage user’s profile photo or invite those users to new groups. Parents can choose to receive notifications about significant group activity or changes. A similar set of controls lets parents limit how teens can use WhatsApp channels, what status updates they can see and who can see their status updates. Parental controls are optional, and WhatsApp says they are simple to set up, requiring a single parent-set PIN. The controls can be adjusted or turned off at any time. Controls also extend to Meta AI on WhatsApp, the app’s built-in chatbot, which offers a default setting for those 13 and up, and a strict, limited-content setting for younger children. WhatsApp says that personal messages and calls will always remain private, even from parents. A representative for Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Parental controls weave carefully around age verification Age verification and its data collection come with privacy concerns.FG Trade/Getty WhatsApp is
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