• by Colin Kirkland , 3 hours ago

To help better protect users from falling victim to exploitation and scams, Meta has announced parent-linked WhatsApp accounts for pre-teens, as well as new scam-detection tools across its Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger apps.

With the rise of kids' safety legislation considered by governments across the globe, more social media companies are rolling out safety protocols for younger users.

Following this trend, Meta's encrypted messaging service WhatsApp has introduced parent-managed accounts, which integrate controls capable of limiting their pre-teens' messaging and calling abilities on the app.

“Parents will need the phone they have bought for their family member and their own device, side by side to link their accounts,” Meta’s announcement explains. “Once set up, these accounts are controlled by the parent or guardian who will be able to decide who can contact the account and which groups they can join.”

In addition, parents are able to review message requests from unknown contacts and manage the account's privacy settings, which are gated by a parent PIN on the managed device.

Meta's decision to integrate new parent-guided safeguards for pre-teen WhatsApp users comes during an ongoing trial in New Mexico, in which Meta allegedly valued profits and user engagement over child safety.

In January, Meta also paused interactions between its AI companions and teens following an internal document acquired by Reuters that showed the company allowing its chatbot personas to flirt with and engage in romantic role play with children.

This week, Meta also announced expanded scam-detection tools testing on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger designed to “alert users before they engage with something suspicious.”

A small number of users will begin seeing various alerts warning them about suspicious activity depending on the app. On Facebook, alerts will provide warnings regarding suspicious friend requests, whereas on WhatsApp, users will see device-linking warnings, as scammers often try to trick users into linking their WhatsApp accounts to their device.

On Messenger, Meta is bringing its advanced scam-detection technology to more countries, which conducts AI scam reviews and encourages users to block or report suspicious accounts.