WhatsApp launches parental settings for teenagers in the UAE — The National

WhatsApp has launched new parental control tools for teen accounts in the UAE. They allow users to configure privacy settings, receive notifications about certain changes in a child’s activity, and choose the level of restrictions for interaction with Meta AI. At the same time, parents will not have access to teenagers’ messages or calls, which will remain protected by end-to-end encryption, The National reports.

PIN code and notifications

Parents will be able to use a six-digit Parent PIN to lock certain privacy settings in a teenager’s account. If a teenager wants to change restrictions, including access to their profile photo, last seen time, or the ability to be added to groups, parental approval will be required.

The tools also provide notifications when a teenager joins or leaves a group, when a group’s membership grows significantly, or when a new contact is added. Parents can determine who will see their child’s statuses, whose statuses the child can view, and how the teenager finds and follows public WhatsApp channels.

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Restrictions for Meta AI

The update includes separate settings for artificial intelligence. Parents can keep the standard Meta AI mode for users aged 13 and over or choose the Limited Content option, which restricts sensitive topics and adds additional safeguards. In the stricter mode, private and incognito interactions with AI will be disabled.

The new features are optional and disabled by default. Andreas Hasselöf, founder and CEO of technology company Ombori, believes that this approach enables parents to notice potentially worrying changes without constantly monitoring a teenager’s digital life. He also noted that age filters for AI are only an initial level of protection, as systems must take into account the context of users’ requests.

UAE residents Mili Mehta and Jenita Clara supported the new settings. Clara said that her 13-year-old son had previously been added to a group by a person he barely knew, after which he saw unacceptable videos and statements. In her view, restrictions on adding children to groups and notifications for parents may help them respond to such situations earlier.