Google is being accused of "manipulating children" and undermining parental authority after sending emails to children approaching 13 explaining how they could disable parental controls.
The controversy began when Melissa McKay, head of US-based online safety group Digital Childhood Institute, shared an email her 12-year-old son received.
The email from Google stated: "Your birthday is coming up. When you turn 13, you can choose to update your account to access more Google apps and services."
McKay criticized Google sharply, noting that the email included links showing how to remove parental controls without consent:
"A trillion-dollar company is directly telling every child they're ready to 'graduate' from parental controls. Google imposes authority over a limit that isn't theirs; parents are treated as a temporary obstacle, and corporate platforms are positioned as the default. This is manipulating children for data and profit."
The UK's child protection agency NSPCC also warned that allowing children to make such decisions alone could leave them vulnerable to misinformation and risky digital environments.
GOOGLE REVERSES POLICY:
Following the backlash, Google announced it would change its supervised account policy. Kate Charlet, head of Google's Privacy & Safety team, shared on LinkedIn that:
Children turning 13 will now need formal parental approval to disable supervision.
The process is intended to be a collaborative decision between children and parents.
The change ensures parental controls remain active until both the parent and child are ready to remove them.
