The Child Safety Revolution: Meta has announced the launch of dedicated accounts for children under 13, fully managed by their parents. This service will allow monitored use of WhatsApp without exposure to marketing content or strangers. The new development comes in response to growing demand from parents who want to communicate with their children receiving their first smartphone while maintaining high security and preventing access to features intended for adults only.
WhatsApp, considered the main communication tool for over 3 billion people worldwide, officially updated its policy. Until now, the terms of use restricted the minimum age to 13 and above, even though many children were using the app to stay in touch with family members.
The company clarified that the new accounts will focus solely on messaging and calls and assured that young users will not be targeted with any type of advertisements. Setting up such an account requires the physical presence of both parent and child, with the parent connecting the devices by scanning a code and choosing a six-digit PIN. This PIN is the key tool preventing the child from changing settings or approving contacts without parental knowledge.
Under the new system, parents will receive real-time notifications of various actions performed on the managed account. By default, the system will send an update whenever the child adds a new contact, blocks a user, or reports harmful content.
Parents can choose to increase supervision and receive alerts when the child changes their profile picture, joins a new group, or when a participant in a group activates disappearing messages. Any such change requires parental approval using the pre-set personal PIN. The company noted that this level of control is essential to give parents peace of mind while granting their children their first taste of digital independence.
Regarding the child’s user experience, the managed account will be relatively limited compared to a standard account. Children will not be able to use Meta’s AI tools, access public channels, or post or view statuses. In addition, the option for disappearing messages in personal chats will be blocked.
Despite these restrictions, the company emphasized that all conversations and messages remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning even WhatsApp cannot read their content. Children will receive additional protection through info cards displayed when they receive a message from someone not in their contact list. The card will show the sender’s country and whether the contact shares any groups with the child.
One of the most significant tools in this version is handling messages and images from strangers. The system will automatically blur images sent from unknown numbers and allow muting chats from such numbers entirely. Any new chat request or group invitation will be collected in a separate folder locked behind the parent’s PIN.
Only after the parent reviews the group details, including the number of participants and the admin’s identity, can they approve the child’s joining. When the child turns 13, they will receive a notification indicating that the account can be converted to a regular one, although parents will have the option to extend the supervision period by an additional 12 months if they wish.
Meta’s move comes amid heavy international pressure from countries like Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the UK, which are working to completely restrict children under a certain age from accessing social networks. Although WhatsApp is not classified as a traditional social network but as a messaging app, regulators worldwide are examining its impact on minors’ mental health and safety.
The company hopes the new model will provide a fair compromise between children’s need for modern communication and the obligation to protect them from online dangers. The service rollout has begun in selected countries and is expected to expand to all users in the coming months. This marks a significant shift in company policy, as Meta openly acknowledges for the first time that children under 13 are an integral part of its audience and is adapting its technological infrastructure to a reality in which 90% of children in Western countries are exposed to screens at a very young age.