WhatsApp has revealed the launch of parent-managed accounts aimed at giving parents and guardians the ability to monitor the usage of individuals under 13 years old on the messaging app.
Through these accounts, parents can establish and oversee a child’s WhatsApp usage from their own device. To set up this feature, parents need to connect their phone with the child’s device during the initial configuration. Once linked, parents or guardians can control who can communicate with the account and which group chats the user can participate in, as outlined in a recent WhatsApp blog.
The system also enables parents to review message requests from unfamiliar contacts and manage privacy settings related to the account. Any modifications to these settings are safeguarded by a parent-managed personal identification number on the device.
WhatsApp reassured users that conversations on the platform remain safeguarded by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that messages and calls are inaccessible to external parties, including WhatsApp itself.
The introduction of parent-managed accounts will be rolled out gradually in the upcoming months as part of a broader initiative to offer families tools to supervise young users’ online interactions while upholding privacy safeguards.
