WhatsApp isn’t exactly what we (or Meta) would call kid-friendly. With spam reaching unprecedented levels of annoyance, and Drake still lurking, it’s arguably the worst time to set your kids up with their very own WhatsApp accounts — at least not one that the parent can’t keep a watchful eye on. Meta is currently experimenting with the idea of restricted secondary accounts that would leave parents (almost) in control.
Won’t somebody think of the children?
The feature was first reported by WABetaInfo, following the release of the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.1.30 update, where it discovered the tools in development. These tools still haven’t wound their way into beta testers’ devices, which could mean the update is still in the early stages of development and not yet close to a release.
Setting up a kid-only, parent-managed account requires it to be linked to their parents’ own WhatsApp account. This would allow the adult to properly manage the security settings that the child might typically ignore. “Younger users often overlook the impact of their privacy settings, especially when interacting with people outside their close circle. Having an adult review these options can significantly reduce unwanted exposure.”
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Specifically, the parent would have a say on who messages or calls the child’s account in question. By default, secondary accounts are limited to only interacting with their saved contacts, preventing any unwanted contact — a setting that not even regular WhatsApp accounts have access to, and leading to increased levels of spam.
Parents will also regularly receive a report about their secondary account’s chat and account activity. While WABetaInfo mentions that the contents of the report are still unknown, it will not include message contents, allowing kids’ chats to remain private. It will likely offer suggested security settings and usage patterns that can be adjusted at the parent’s will, without invading privacy and encryption entirely.
