WhatsApp is expanding its child safety features with two distinct offerings: optional parental controls for teenagers aged 13 and above, and newly announced parent-managed accounts designed specifically for children under 13. The rollout reflects mounting regulatory pressure on technology companies to create age-appropriate experiences and demonstrates Meta's effort to address child safety concerns ahead of anticipated legislative changes.
The teenage parental controls grant parents visibility into certain account activities while preserving message privacy. Parents can receive notifications when their child joins or leaves a group, adjust privacy settings for the account, and control who can see profile photos or add the teenager to groups. Importantly, WhatsApp confirmed that messages and calls remain protected by end-to-end encryption and cannot be viewed by parents.
The controls are entirely optional, a characteristic that social media analyst Matt Navarra identified as a significant limitation. He observed that the approach benefits Meta by distributing responsibility between the company, parents, and teenagers rather than relying solely on age verification systems.
"Meta is trying to show regulators we have a child safety system, we have parental controls and we're rolling it out across our platforms,"Navarra stated, adding that
"the big unanswered question is whether enough families will actually use it."
Parents can configure controls using a PIN that teenagers must enter to disable them. Setup is designed to be straightforward, and parents retain the ability to adjust or deactivate controls at any time. Additional privacy options allow teenagers to manage their Channels usage—a feature enabling organisations and public figures to distribute content—and select between the default 13+ setting for Meta AI or a more restrictive "Limited Content" option.
What are parent-managed accounts for younger children?
Recognising demand from parents seeking messaging services tailored to younger users, WhatsApp separately introduced parent-managed accounts for pre-teens under 13, with the feature rolling out over the coming months. These accounts operate under stricter constraints than the teenage controls, limiting functionality to messaging and calling only.
Setting up a parent-managed account requires the parent's and child's phones to be positioned side by side to link the accounts. Parents can review message requests from unknown contacts and determine which individuals and groups their child can communicate with. Notably, parent-managed accounts do not support Status, Channels or Meta AI, and disappearing messages are disabled in one-to-one chats, creating a more controlled environment for younger users.
How does this fit into the UK's child safety framework?
WhatsApp's expansion of child safety tools arrives as governments worldwide intensify efforts to protect young people online. In June, the UK government announced plans to prohibit under-16s from accessing social media platforms, with implementation expected in spring 2027. However, the UK government has clarified that messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be covered by its under-16 social media ban, distinguishing them from platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
The distinction reflects the government's focus on social media platforms rather than messaging applications, though WhatsApp's proactive introduction of controls suggests the company is positioning itself favourably within the evolving regulatory landscape. WhatsApp stated that
"all of these controls are being designed to support open conversations about how to use WhatsApp between parents and teens, while keeping everyone's personal messages private."
What regulatory changes are coming?
The UK government plans to lay the first regulations before Parliament by the end of 2026, with the restrictions expected to take effect in spring 2027. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, is expected to set out options for effective age assurance in the coming months, determining how platforms will verify users' ages without compromising privacy.
The minimum age requirement for WhatsApp remains 13 in the UK, though this threshold is higher in some jurisdictions. WhatsApp's dual approach—combining optional controls for teenagers with managed accounts for younger children—represents an attempt to address regulatory expectations while maintaining the company's position that messaging services warrant different treatment than social media platforms under proposed legislation.
Key Facts
- WhatsApp's teenage parental controls are optional and do not permit parents to view messages or calls, which remain end-to-end encrypted
- Parent-managed accounts for under-13s limit functionality to messaging and calling, with parents able to review and approve contacts
- The UK government has excluded messaging services from its planned under-16 social media ban, expected to take effect in spring 2027
- Ofcom will determine age assurance methods in the coming months as part of the regulatory framework
- Both features are rolling out over the coming months as Meta demonstrates child safety commitments to regulators
