WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls designed to help parents manage how their teenagers use the messaging platform while preserving the privacy of their private conversations.
The Meta-owned messaging platform announced the new features in a blog post on Wednesday, saying parents and teenagers can set up the controls together to determine the WhatsApp experience that best suits their family.
According to the platform, the new controls are aimed at giving parents greater oversight of their teenagers’ use of WhatsApp without giving them access to the content of their private chats.
The company said the approach is designed to strike a balance between parental involvement and teenagers’ privacy as young people increasingly rely on messaging platforms for communication.
WhatsApp said parents and teens can work together to configure the available controls, allowing families to establish settings that reflect their individual needs.
The introduction of the controls comes amid growing attention to online safety and the need to protect teenagers from potential risks associated with social media and digital communication platforms.
WhatsApp said the new features are part of its broader efforts to provide families with tools that support safer experiences for younger users while maintaining the privacy protections built into the platform.
