#parental-controls — Public Fediverse posts

Conclusions after completing a school year with the Rebel Cactus SKY smart watch for kids

We’re going against the grain on this one, to acknowledge that proposal H.R. 8250 is not nearly as bad as past proposals like KOSA or the EU’s ID verification scheme. New video out now: Why Everyone's Got the 'Parents Decide Act' Wrong

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ggj5mKKv740
PeerTube: https://neat.tube/w/jHa1S4cqjvwBK75fQ6KtzZ

#USgov #ParentalControls #AgeVerification #IDVerification #Privacy #Video

Ubuntu 24.04.4: 1 different IP for each user? #networking #parentalcontrols

https://askubuntu.com/q/1565818/612

It is NOT the responsibility of government or large tech companies to police everyone using electronic devices at login.

To prove age, requires proof of identity, then comes surveillance.

We need to preserve freedom.

INSTEAD, it MAY be the responsibility of government and tech companies, to create useful tools that PARENTS can use to determine the level of protection required for their kids.

#AgeVerification #SurveillanceState #BigTech #Freedom #ParentalControls

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/apple-begins-age-checks-in-the-uk-with-latest-ios-update/

@thelinuxexperiment

As a big KDE fan-blort, I want to say congratulations to all the Gnome contributors. This looks great! Personally I'm still very jealous of how clean and free of excessive borders Gnome has.

I hope that they'll expand the parental controls are expanded to include self restriction that can be incredibly useful for ADHD and other neurotypical folks to avoid excessive use of particular apps / features.

#Gnome #Gnome50 #ParentalControls #ADHD #KDE

Ah yes, because clearly the only way to protect our precious little ones is to blanket the entire internet in bubble wrap and a healthy dose of parental paranoia 🍼🔒. Let's just turn the web into a PG-rated daycare and call it a day, shall we? 🤦‍♂️🌐
https://news.dyne.org/child-protection-is-not-access-control/ #parentalcontrols #internetprivacy #digitalparenting #bubblewrapculture #onlinechildsafety #HackerNews #ngated

WhatsApp has introduced parent-managed accounts allowing children under 13 to use the messaging platform with strict parental controls, PIN protection and end-to-end encrypted chats. https://english.mathrubhumi.com/technology/whatsapp-introduces-parent-managed-accounts-for-children-under-13-wsu0hvbo?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #WhatsApp #Meta #ParentalControls #TechNews

Congressional Republicans Push Bills That Would Block Kids Access To Content For Ideological Reasons

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/09/congressional-republicans-push-bills-that-would-block-kids-access-to-content-for-ideological-reasons/

Mashable: After settling lawsuit, Snapchat adds new parental controls for teens. “Starting today, parents and guardians linked to teen accounts will be able to see a weekly breakdown of the average amount of time users spent on the app, as well as the types of activity the teen engages in on the app, including chatting, taking pictures, or scrolling through their Snap Map.”

#Meta is pausing #teen access to #AIcharacters globally across all its apps to develop an updated version with built-in #parentalcontrols. The move comes ahead of a trial in New Mexico accusing Meta of not protecting #kids from exploitation on its apps. The new AI characters will focus on age-appropriate topics like education, sports, and hobbies. https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/meta-pauses-teen-access-to-ai-characters-ahead-of-new-version/?eicker.news #tech #media #news

Congress Wants To Hand Your Parenting To Big Tech

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/21/congress-wants-to-hand-your-parenting-to-big-tech/

🚨 SHOCKER 🚨: Parents discover that "parental controls" are as effective as a paper umbrella in a hurricane. Who would've thought that "kid-safe" phones don't come with a creep-repellent spray? 🤦‍♂️ Next up, they'll learn the hard way that "child-proof" caps can also be opened by adults. 🍾👶
https://beasthacker.com/til/parental-controls-arent-for-parents.html #parentalcontrols #kidssafety #parentingfails #techfailures #humor #HackerNews #ngated

Weekly output: Android 16, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation

We got our first snow of the season Friday morning, and it was such a treat to look out the windows of my home office and see the tree branches outside covered in white. It remains a delight to live in a place with distinct seasons.

I wrote an extra post on Patreon this week but broke from my usual practice by opening it to everybody on that site. So if you’ve been looking for a cheat sheet on how to get some money back on your holiday shopping via credit-card cashback offers and shopping portals, look no further.

12/2/2025: Second Major Android 16 Update Adds Expanded Parental Controls, AI-Condensed Notifications, More, PCMag

Google’s description of this update did not make it clear how this new parental-controls interface would appear in the Settings app, but now that it’s landed on my Pixel 9 Pro I can confirm that it bumps them up to a top-level menu item in that app.

12/3/2025: Are we finally closing in on a ‘Futurama’-like era of flying cars?, Fast Company

Before I could finish this piece based on my interview of a Joby Aviation executive at Web Summit, that eVTOL startup sued its competitor Archer Aviation. That required me to ping both companies for comment, and then filing and editing the story took a few more days.

12/3/2025: Archer Aviation Unwraps Plans for Air-Taxi Network Around Miami, PCMag

I wrote a second piece about eVTOL ambitions, this time about Archer’s plans for service around Miami. If you compare this piece to the posts I did about air-taxi startups three years ago, you should notice a lot more skepticism about the forecasts these companies have shared–and I can’t blame you for wondering why it was absent from my earlier coverage.

#airTaxi #android16 #archerAviation #evtol #jobyAviation #parentalControls

#Australia’s new #socialmediaban for #under16s, effective 10 December, will remove #YouTube’s #parentalcontrols, making #children less safe online according to the platform. YouTube argues it undermines their safety measures. The government maintains the ban is necessary to protect young Australians from the negative impacts of #socialmedia. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp341gz24p5o?eicker.news #tech #media #news

OpenAI Releases Teen Safety Blueprint to Shape AI Regulation Amid Legal Pressure

#AI #OpenAI #AISafety #ChatGPT #TeenSafety #ChildSafety #ParentalControls #GenAI

https://winbuzzer.com/2025/11/06/openai-releases-teen-safety-blueprint-to-shape-ai-regulation-amid-legal-pressure-xcxwbn

Mashable: Discord launches new safety features following lawsuits. “Discord’s Family Center will now give parents or guardians the ability to view the top five users a teen messaged and called, the servers they more frequently messaged, their total call minutes in voice and video, and all the purchases they’ve made.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/06/mashable-discord-launches-new-safety-features-following-lawsuits/

Discord expands Family Center with enhanced parental monitoring

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://dailytimes.com.pk/1395852/discord-expands-family-center-with-enhanced-parental-monitoring/

Discord's "Family Center" is getting an update, giving parents a deeper dive into teen activity – purchases, call logs, even top contacts. Looks like they're navigating that tricky balance between privacy and safety.

Is this a necessary evolution for online platforms, or an overreach into digital autonomy?
#Discord #TechNews #ParentalControls #OnlineSafety
Read the full scoop: https://www.engadget.com/apps/discord-gives-parents-more-insight-into-their-teens-activity-through-family-center-170000419.html?src=rss

Meta Reinforces AI Chat Parental Controls Amid Child Safety Investigations

#AISafety #FTC #Meta #OpenAI #ParentalControls
https://blazetrends.com/meta-reinforces-ai-chat-parental-controls-amid-child-safety-investigations/?fsp_sid=149791

Well, this is a fun new frontier for parenting! Instagram's rolling out tools to let parents block kids from AI chatbots, apparently after some 'sensual' interactions were reported. The internet, truly a wild place.

How do we even begin to teach digital literacy when the tech evolves this fast? #AIethics #SocialMedia #KidsSafety #TechNews #ParentalControls

Read more: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/parents-soon-can-block-their-kids-from-interacting-with-ai-chatbots-on-instagram/#ftag=CAD590a51e

Heads up, parents! Meta's rolling out new AI chatbot controls on Instagram next year. You'll be able to block access, specific AIs, and even peek at what your teens are discussing with bots.

This comes after previous controversies. Good move or just patching a leaky ship? #AI #ParentalControls #Instagram #TechNews #Meta
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-adding-ai-chatbot-focused-parental-controls-to-instagram-100027229.html?src=rss

Meta's dropping new parental controls for its AI experiences, letting guardians block characters and monitor teen chats. Soon, you can even cut off AI conversations completely. Is this a necessary digital babysitter or just more complex tech to manage?

Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/17/meta-previews-new-parental-controls-for-its-ai-experiences/

#MetaAI #ParentalControls #TechNews #AISafety #DigitalParenting

Parents worry about children falling for online scams but fail to monitor usage #CyberSecurity #ParentalControls

https://betanews.com/2025/10/14/parents-worry-about-children-falling-for-online-scams-but-fail-to-monitor-usage/

Instagram Overhauls Teen Accounts With 'PG-13' Content Policy and Stricter Parental Controls

#Instagram #Meta #TeenSafety #ParentalControls #SocialMedia #Regulation

https://winbuzzer.com/2025/10/14/instagram-overhauls-teen-accounts-with-pg-13-content-policy-and-stricter-parental-controls-xcxwbn

Meta enhances Instagram safety for teens with default PG-13 content restrictions, stricter parental controls, and AI safeguards against harmful material. Protect your kids online. https://english.mathrubhumi.com/technology/meta-rolls-out-pg-13-content-restrictions-for-teens-on-instagram-amid-growing-safety-concerns-rvtv8vjk?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Meta #Instagram #PG13 #contentrestrictions #parentalcontrols

I haven't checked into this yet, but wonder how Open AI has configured the parental controls in their app from being hijacked or overridden by the tech-savvy kiddos.

ChatGPT has both paid and free plans — assume a kid could just register for an alternate account and use on web or whatever via another email address at worst?

#chatgpt #openai #parentalcontrols