The messaging app WhatsApp announced on Wednesday (11) that it will launch, in the coming months, a new feature that will allow parents and guardians to manage their children’s accounts under 13 years old.
According to Meta, the company that owns the app, parents or guardians will be able to use the new feature to decide which contacts can send messages to the account and which groups the child or teenager can join.
Additionally, parents will be able to review contact requests from unknown numbers and manage the account’s privacy settings.
“Parental controls and settings are managed by a parents’ PIN on the managed device. Only parents or guardians can access and modify privacy settings, allowing customization of the experience according to family preferences,” Meta said in a statement.
According to the company, conversation content will remain private and protected by end-to-end encryption, so neither parents nor the platform itself will have access.
According to WhatsApp, accounts managed by parents or guardians will be rolled out gradually and may not be available in all regions. New accounts for minors must be set up by parents or guardians who are 18 years or older.
The latest version of WhatsApp for iPhone or Android will be required to use the new feature. To set up the new account, the guardian’s phone and the minor’s must be side by side. The setup step-by-step can be seen at this link.
Child and Adolescent Safety
The threats accompanying children’s and adolescents’ access to social networks, messaging platforms, and online games have been a worldwide concern.
In Australia, a law banned social media use by those under 16. Similar measures have advanced in France and Portugal and are being discussed in other European countries.
In Brazil, a public consultation by the federal government recommended more rigorous methods for age verification of users on websites and internet apps.
ECA Digital
The country banned cell phone use in public and private schools, in elementary and high school. It is also in the process of implementing the Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent Law (15.211/2025).
The new law takes effect on March 18 and requires digital platforms to take reasonable measures to prevent risks of children and adolescents accessing illegal content or content deemed inappropriate for their age groups, such as sexual exploitation and abuse, physical violence, intimidation, harassment, promotion and commercialization of gambling, predatory and deceptive advertising practices, among other crimes.
The law also establishes rules for parental and guardian supervision and requires more reliable mechanisms for age verification of social media users, which is currently done basically by self-declaration.
Source: Agência Brasil