Google now reportedly says it is ending a controversial practice that allowed the company to email 13-year-olds step-by-step instructions on how to remove parental controls, following widespread backlash from parents and parental rights advocates who accused the tech giant of undermining families.
The decision comes after screenshots of one such email went viral on social media, sparking outrage and prompting critics to label the practice “predatory” and akin to “grooming” behavior. The emails instructed children on how to disable supervision settings without parental consent, a move that many parents said crossed a clear line.
In response to the uproar, Google’s head of global privacy, safety and security, Kate Charlet, announced a policy change in a LinkedIn post on Monday. Charlet said Google would revise its approach to ensure parents have a decisive role in whether supervision settings can be removed.
“Under our planned policy update, any supervised minor will have to get parental approval before they can turn off supervision,” Charlet wrote. She said the changes are meant to ensure protections remain in place until both parents and teens feel ready, adding that Google’s focus is on giving families tools to navigate the digital world safely.
Despite the announcement, Google did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Meanwhile, Google’s own frequently asked questions page still lists the previous policy, which allows children to “take charge of their account” without parental consent, raising questions about how quickly the promised changes will be implemented.
The revised policy has done little to reassure some critics. Several LinkedIn users expressed frustration that Google ever allowed children to bypass parental controls in the first place. One user wrote that if Google truly wanted to empower families, it would never have permitted kids to disable supervision simply by turning 13. Another said it was troubling that it took viral outrage and media attention for the company to even consider revising the policy, arguing that parents need confidence Google will not undermine parental authority in the future.
Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute, who originally exposed the email practice, said serious legal and ethical questions remain unanswered. McKay questioned what legal authority, if any, allowed Google to mass email children and encourage them to remove parental controls without parental consent.
She also raised concerns about broader industry practices, asking what other failures by major tech companies like Apple and Google have become normalized. McKay pointed specifically to app age ratings she said can be deceptive, presenting safety claims that conflict with documented risks.
“Please do not accept or normalize predatory tech company practices,” McKay said, arguing that many of these policies can change rapidly once scrutiny and accountability are applied.
Google previously justified its approach by pointing to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which gives parents authority over the collection of personal information from children 13 and under. But McKay challenged whether that law actually allows minors to consent to complex terms of service agreements required by apps and app stores, including provisions involving liability, data use, and payments.
“If COPPA does not turn minors into consenting adults,” McKay asked, “why are app stores treating 13-year-olds as legally capable contracting parties?”
The controversy has reignited a broader debate over Big Tech’s role in shaping children’s online experiences and the extent to which powerful companies should be allowed to bypass or weaken parental authority. For many parents, Google’s reversal came only after public pressure, reinforcing concerns that vigilance remains necessary when it comes to protecting children online.
