Google set its age of independence for children at 13 and this story shows that they believe their view over rides the opinions of parents and carers.
In this news story it reports that Google has been accused of “grooming” teenagers by emailing under-13s and outlining steps to turn off parental controls on their accounts.
A mother accused the tech giant of “asserting authority” over its teenage users by contacting them and outlining the steps they can take to update their account so that they “get access to more Google apps and services” once they turn 13.
Until children are 13, or the applicable age in their home country, their Google accounts must be managed by their parents - what it calls a “supervised account”. This allows parents to block certain content, control their child’s screen time and view their browsing history.
Their decision, made knowing nothing about the children, their vulnerabilities or their parents wishes has caused somewhat of an outcry. No doubt this story run for a while but it raises an important issue about who sets such limits and their reasons for choosing a particular age.
Read the full story here.
