Google is emailing 13-year-olds instructing them on how to remove parental controls without consent from the parents.
Google’s policy permits children to “graduate” from parental controls as soon as they turn 13, eliminating any safe search filters parents have applied to block access to inappropriate content and preventing parents from supervising their kids’ internet activity. Child safety advocates are sounding the alarm after screenshots of the email went viral online, accusing the company of “predatory” practices and “grooming” kids.
“When your child turns 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they have the option to graduate to an unsupervised Google Account,” the site’s frequently asked questions page explains. “Before a child turns 13, parents will get an email letting them know that their child will be eligible to take charge of their account on their birthday, after which you will no longer be able to manage their account. 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. As a parent, you can also choose to remove supervision at any time when the child is over the age of 13.”
Google did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Google FAQ Page
“A trillion dollar corporation is directly contacting every child to tell them they are old enough to ‘graduate’ from parental supervision,” Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute (DCI), posted on LinkedIn. “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. It reframes parents as a temporary inconvenience to be outgrown and positions corporate platforms as the default replacement.”
“Call it what it is. Grooming for engagement. Grooming for data. Grooming minors for profit,” McKay continued. “In nearly ten years as an online safety advocate, this is among the most predatory corporate practices I have seen. Absolutely reprehensible. Corporations should stay the hell away from our kids.”
DCI filed a complaint in October urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Google for the “significant risks for young users” the policy poses.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), signed under the Clinton administration in 1998, gives parents authority over personal information collection of children 13 and younger to protect young kids’ privacy. COPPA does not prevent children from accessing inappropriate content online.
In other countries, such as Germany, Ireland and France, Google allows parental controls to remain in effect until a child is 14, 15 or even 16.
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