WhatsApp Parental Controls – What’s New, and What’s Actually Available?

WhatsApp has announced a new set of optional parental controls for teenagers aged 13–17. Parents and teenagers have to agree to link their accounts, after which parents can manage some privacy settings and certain features using a parent PIN.

The new controls can include:

• managing who can see a teenager’s profile photo and who can add them to groups;
• alerts when a teenager joins or leaves a group, or when a group grows significantly;
• controls around Channels and Status;
• choosing between the standard 13+ Meta AI experience and a more restricted Limited Content option.

These features are still rolling out gradually so we should start to see them fairly soon.

There has also been some confusion around WhatsApp for younger children. WhatsApp has separately developed parent-managed accounts for children under 13, focused mainly on messaging and calling with built-in parental supervision. However, these accounts are still being rolled out gradually and there has not yet been a full rollout outside of the US.

I have included a section for parents below which you can just copy/paste to send out to your parents.

Links:
WhatsApp – New Controls to Help Parents Guide Their Teens
WhatsApp Help Centre – Parental Controls
WhatsApp – Parent-Managed Accounts

Online Harm Groups – New Sky Investigation into the Com

A major new Sky News investigation has looked at the Com, a loose international network of offenders who groom, manipulate and coerce vulnerable children and young people into self-harm, sexual acts, humiliation and other forms of abuse.

Sky found pathways into these groups across mainstream platforms including Roblox, Discord, TikTok and Telegram. The investigation also reports that the National Crime Agency received just under 1,500 Com-related referrals in the last year, with around 35–50 referrals each week.

I recently highlighted CEOP’s new guidance on online harm groups, this Sky investigation is useful as a reminder of how serious these networks can become and why changes in behaviour, secrecy, fear or extreme online dependency should never be dismissed.

The Sky article contains graphic references to self-harm, suicide and sexual abuse, so do be careful who you share this with.

Link:
Sky News – Inside the Sadistic Network Where Kids’ Pain Is Content

For Parents – Helping Parents Navigate Online Gaming

LGfL has published a useful new guide for schools on helping parents understand online gaming.

The advice is practical rather than technical. It encourages parents to:

• ask what their child is playing;
• check whether games are age-appropriate;
• talk about who their child plays with;
• discuss what information should not be shared;
• agree rules around spending;
• talk about bullying and what to do if something goes wrong;
• review safety settings together;
• agree reasonable limits around play.

The guidance also makes an important point about age ratings: a higher PEGI rating does not mean a game is more difficult — it means the content may be less suitable for younger children.

This is a useful resource to share through newsletters, parent pages or online-safety sessions.

Link:
LGfL – Helping Parents Navigate Online Gaming

For Parents – WhatsApp’s New Teen Controls

WhatsApp is introducing new parental controls for teenagers aged 13–17.

Parents and teenagers will be able to link their accounts and choose settings around privacy, groups, Channels, Status and Meta AI. Parents will not be able to read their teenager’s private messages or listen to calls.

The features are being introduced gradually, so they may not appear just yet.

WhatsApp is also developing parent-managed accounts for younger children, but these have not yet had a full rollout.

Links:
WhatsApp – New Controls for Teens
WhatsApp Help Centre – Parental Controls

For Parents – Gaming Safety for Neurodivergent Children

Online gaming can provide friendship, enjoyment and a strong sense of community for neurodivergent children, but some children may also need extra support around social cues, scams, communication, rules and recognising when an interaction is becoming unsafe.

Internet Matters has produced a practical guide for parents and carers of neurodivergent children, with advice on supporting safe and positive gaming experiences.

It is particularly useful because it recognises the benefits of gaming rather than treating gaming itself as the problem.

Link:
Internet Matters – Gaming and Neurodivergent Children