Children under 13 can use WhatsApp for limited messaging and calling.

The new account type blocks access to features like status updates, chat lock, view-once messages, location sharing, and more for users under 13.

WhatsApp's new parent-managed accounts let guardians control who contacts their pre-teen, which groups they join, and all privacy settings, while keeping individual chats end-to-end encrypted.

WhatsApp is introducing a safer way for younger users to stay connected with friends and family. The messaging platform now allows parents to create protected WhatsApp accounts for kids under 13, ...

India has a patchwork of laws, regulatory frameworks and platform-led interventions to safeguard young users online. But experts say enforcement gaps and the ease with which children can misrepresent ...