In the past few months, governments and authorities around the world are imposing rules on social media and AI platforms to keep kids safe online. All this while, major online platforms have complied with the set rules and have rolled out parental controls. However, Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has been behind on this trend. Now, a new report suggests that WhatsApp may finally be catching up, as the beta version of the Android app mentions parental control features.
WhatsApp’s latest beta version hints that the platform is working on parental control features
The news comes via WABetaInfo , which reports that WhatsApp is exploring ways to implement primary controls that allow parents to manage secondary accounts. The latest changes are reportedly visible in the Android beta version of the app , version 2.26.1.30. As the news outlet notes, the secondary accounts will now come with limited features.
The said account will reportedly be linked with a parent’s main account through what WhatsApp calls a “dedicated connection.” More importantly, WhatsApp mentions that messages and calls will remain private to kids. That’s not all; end-to-end encryption will remain intact, too, making sure kids’ conversations are inaccessible to parents.
Now, you must be wondering how everything would work, right? Well, if you’re a parent, WhatsApp’s parental control features let you review and adjust key privacy settings. In addition, the secondary accounts will now only allow messages and calls from contacts. It eventually reduces unwanted or risky interactions from unknown users. That’s a big plus for parents out there.
Image credit: WABetaInfo
The feature might roll out in the future release
Usually, this age limit is 13; however, in some countries, that age limit might be higher based on local laws. Minors below the mentioned age limit require legal consent and can’t independently accept the terms. In such cases, a parent or legal guardian will be able to provide approval on the minor’s behalf. Not to forget, WhatsApp also recently added a few new exciting features to kick off the new year celebrations .
