❓WHAT HAPPENED: Google is emailing 13-year-olds with instructions on how to remove parental controls without parental consent.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Google, child safety advocates, and the Digital Childhood Institute (DCI).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Globally, with child safety advocacy groups filing a complaint in the U.S. in October.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A trillion dollar corporation is directly contacting every child to tell them they are old enough to ‘graduate’ from parental supervision. The email explains how a child can remove those controls themselves, without parental consent or involvement. Google is asserting authority over a boundary that does not belong to them.” – Melissa McKay, Digital Childhood Institute.

🎯IMPACT: Advocates warn the policy undermines parental authority and poses risks to child safety, prompting calls for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation.

Google is facing criticism after reports surfaced that the company emailed children turning 13 with instructions on how to remove parental controls from their Google accounts, effectively allowing them to bypass parental supervision without parental consent. The policy, which allows minors to “graduate” from supervised accounts at age 13, removes safeguards such as SafeSearch filters and limits parents’ ability to monitor online activity.

The controversy gained traction after screenshots of the email circulated widely online, prompting backlash from child safety advocates. According to Google’s own FAQ page, parents are notified shortly before their child’s 13th birthday that supervision can be ended. “On the day when they turn 13, children can choose whether they want to manage their own Google Account or continue to have their parent manage it for them,” the page states.

Critics argue that while parents are notified, the company’s decision to communicate directly with children undermines parental authority. Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute, sharply criticized the practice in a LinkedIn post. “A trillion dollar corporation is directly contacting every child to tell them they are old enough to ‘graduate’ from parental supervision. The email explains how a child can remove those controls themselves, without parental consent or involvement. Google is asserting authority over a boundary that does not belong to them,” she wrote.

McKay further accused Google of “grooming for engagement, grooming for data, grooming minors for profit,” calling the policy “absolutely reprehensible.”

In response, the Digital Childhood Institute filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging regulators to examine whether Google’s actions place children at increased risk online. Notably, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) gives parents control over how companies collect data from children under 13, but it does not require platforms to maintain content restrictions or parental oversight once a child reaches that age. Several European countries take a more restrictive approach, maintaining parental controls until ages 14, 15, or 16.

The dispute comes amid broader concerns about child safety on the Internet. Recent investigations and law enforcement actions have highlighted how popular online games and social platforms can expose minors to grooming, exploitation, and coercion. Reports have documented cases in which predators used child-focused platforms to solicit explicit content, manipulate children into self-harm, or build trust through games and chat features before escalating abuse.

Image by Tomasz Molina.

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