WhatsApp Might Soon Let Parents Control Who Minors Interact With

WhatsApp might be working on a new feature to provide parents with dedicated controls to protect minors and regulate their exposure to strangers. As per a feature tracker, the Meta-owned company is developing secondary accounts that come with limited features, and a dedicated link that allows another user to connect with and control the privacy settings. The parent account is also said to get several other controls, including seeing their teenager's activity updates. However, they will not be able to see their messages or call details.

WhatsApp Is Developing Secondary Accounts

In a post, WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo claimed that the instant messaging platform is now working on introducing parental controls for users under the age of 18. The feature is currently under development, so its visibility on the latest Android beta version might vary from region to region.

Dubbed secondary accounts, the post claims these are designed for minors and teenagers. Since WhatsApp has a massive user base, and underage users also use the platform to stay connected with their friends, join classroom and coaching groups, and interact with their family members, the company might be focusing on creating a safer experience without compromising their privacy.

Parental controls via secondary account on WhatsApp
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

These secondary accounts can be linked with a primary account, which belongs to the parent or a guardian. These two accounts can be connected with one another via a dedicated link, claimed the tracker. In a screenshot, the post also revealed the different privacy controls the parent would have access to once the secondary account is connected.

By default, the secondary account is said to be limited to text and call only the saved contacts on the device. Similarly, they can only receive messages and calls from saved contacts. Additionally, parents can control who can see the minor's profile picture, last seen, About info, and if read receipts are turned on or off.

When the default settings are turned on, only saved contacts can add the minor to a group. Additionally, the parent account also receives regular activity updates on the secondary account, although it is not clear what data they will be able to see.

If the information is true, WhatsApp might be working on creating a balance between providing parents with access to their teenagers' and minors' accounts to protect their exposure and keep track of how much time they spend on the app, while ensuring the underage users still have control over their privacy, as the parent cannot see the chat list, call logs, or messages and call conversations.