WhatsApp has introduced a new set of parental supervision tools for teen accounts, arriving as the UAE enforces a ban on social media use for children under 15. Under the update, a parent can set a six-digit PIN to lock specific privacy settings on their teenager's account, including who can view their profile picture or Last Seen status, and who can add them to new groups.
Any attempt by the teen to alter these locked settings now requires parental approval. Parents are also notified whenever their teenager joins or leaves a group, or adds a new contact. Crucially, the tool does not give parents access to the content of messages or calls, since WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption remains intact throughout. The feature is opt-in and switched off by default.
On the AI side, parents can choose between the standard Meta AI experience available to users 13 and older, or a stricter "Limited Content" setting that filters out sensitive topics and adds extra safeguards for younger users.
Andreas Hassellof, founder and CEO of Ombori, welcomed the move, saying good digital safety should create visibility without turning childhood into surveillance, and that safety-by-design needs to become the default approach for platforms serving young users.
Dubai-based parents have offered a mixed but largely positive response. Mili Mehta called the new parental code "a great initiative" that hands parents meaningfully greater control over their children's digital lives. Jenita Clara said the controls help parents spot risks earlier and open conversations with their children about appropriate online behaviour.
The rollout lands as the UAE has tightened rules around children's and teenagers' access to social platforms in recent months, part of a broader push by regulators and tech companies alike to give families more oversight over how younger users navigate messaging apps and social media without eliminating their independence altogether.