WhatsApp has added a new way for parents to monitor who their kids are engaging with in the app with parent-managed accounts, which will provide control and oversight options to manage their kids’ interactions.
Similar to the parental oversight tools available in other apps, WhatsApp’s parent-managed accounts will allow parents to see who their children are connecting with, what chat groups they join, changes they make to their profile, etc.
Though in its announcement, WhatsApp said that the feature is aimed at “pre-teens,” as opposed to parental features in other apps, which are generally focused on protecting teenage users.
Most social apps have limits on when people can join, with most social platforms setting a minimum age floor of 14 years old.
Indeed, WhatsApp is also restricted to children aged 13 and up, which would seemingly negate the need for pre-teen protection features.
But clearly, younger children are using the app, or are interested in using it, and WhatsApp is looking to cater to this demand.
In its explainer documentation, WhatsApp noted that parents can download WhatsApp and set up a parent-managed account for their child, even if the child does not meet the app’s minimum age threshold. So pre-teens can use WhatsApp, though whether they should is a whole other debate.
In any event, a parent or guardian 18 years old or older can set up a WhatsApp supervised account for their child/children, which will provide enhanced transparency and oversight.
Parents will be able to decide who can contact their children and which groups they can join. Parents will also be able to review message requests from unknown contacts and manage account privacy settings.
The updated parental controls and settings will be gated by a parent PIN on the managed device, and only parents will be able to access and change privacy settings.
Enabling younger children to start engaging in WhatsApp seems like a somewhat risky proposition, as does building reliance on encrypted chat tools as an interactive device. But with WhatsApp being the most used messaging platform in the world, there are likely a wide range of use cases for the app, and many logical reasons why younger children in some circumstances should be able to join, with restrictions.
