Child rights org says Google undermines parental control of child accounts

"Melissa McKay of the Digital Childhood Institute filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after her son received an email from Google. A child rights advocacy organisation in the United States is accusing Google of bypassing parental authority by allowing children to disable parental supervision over Google accounts after they turn 13. Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute, stated on LinkedIn that Google sent her 12-year-old an email that will unlock additional tools once he turns 13, posting screenshots of the email."

"In Google's frequently asked questions, it shows that children can disable tools that allow parents to supervise accounts once they are what is known as the minimum age in their country, which is often 13 in many countries. Among the changes, once children turn the age of 13, they can turn off supervised experiences on YouTube and can add payment methods to Google Pay."

"Google is asserting authority over a boundary that does not belong to them. It reframes parents as a temporary inconvenience to be outgrown and positions corporate platforms as the default replacement, McKay said in a post on LinkedIn. Parents are able to supervise Google accounts through a programme called Family Link up until age 13. In nearly ten years as an online safety advocate, this is among the most predatory corporate practices I have seen, she added."

Melissa McKay of the Digital Childhood Institute filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after her 12-year-old son received an email from Google offering additional tools once he turns 13. Google’s FAQs state that children can disable parental supervision once they reach the country’s minimum age, often 13. At 13, users can turn off supervised experiences on YouTube and add payment methods to Google Pay; parents lose controls such as blocking apps, enabling location sharing unilaterally, or blocking payment features. McKay argues that enabling minors to terminate parental oversight at this developmental stage breaches duty of care and undermines parental authority.

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