Your child's online privacy: settings worth checking today

You probably know your child's phone passcode. You may not know whether their TikTok account is public, or when location sharing was last switched on. Privacy settings drift after updates, and the defaults on new apps are not always sensible. A short check this week fixes most of it.

What UK platforms are now expected to do

Services likely to be accessed by children must follow the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Age Appropriate Design Code — the Children's Code. Privacy settings should be high by default. Location sharing should be off unless there is a clear reason to turn it on.

On a new account, that usually means: private profile, no friend list visible to strangers, no location broadcast to people outside an approved circle. Your child — or you — should have to choose deliberately to open things up. That is the opposite of how many apps worked until recently, when parents had to hunt through menus to lock things down.

Since 25 July 2025, duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 have applied too, regulated by Ofcom. Platforms that fall under this regulation must use highly effective age assurance for the most harmful content categories, and take steps on bullying and other harmful material. None of that replaces what you do at home. It does mean the in-app report button is a regulated route, not a suggestion box — worth using when something goes wrong.

Age checks: useful, not a substitute

You may already have hit an age-verification screen on a site or app. Methods vary — from estimating age from device signals to stricter checks on adult-only services — and Ofcom is still publishing guidance as providers roll out their duties.

Age gates reduce accidental exposure. They are not foolproof. Device controls and a conversation your child can actually have with you still do the heavy lifting.

Phone: iOS and Android — switch these on today

Both Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) include built-in parental controls. You do not always need a paid third-party app — you do need to know where the settings live.

iOS: Screen Time and content restrictions

• Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions. Here you can limit which apps are available and set age ratings for films and apps.
• Filter web content. Under Content Restrictions → Web Content, choose "Limit Adult Websites" or an allowed list. Blocked sites should not load in Safari.
• Screen time limits. Set daily limits per app category or per app if your child has their own Apple ID.
• Require approval for downloads. Apps, films and music can need your permission before they install.

Android: Google Family Link

• Install Google Family Link on your phone. Google's free app links your child's Android or Chromebook account to yours.
• Set a web filter. In Family Link → Settings → Filters on Google Chrome, turn on Google's SafeSearch and site filtering.
• Manage app downloads. Choose which apps your child can install from Google Play. Play Protect blocks many age-inappropriate titles automatically.
• Review screen time. Family Link shows time spent in each app. You can set limits and a device bedtime.

Computer: Chrome and Windows

A laptop or desktop often needs clearer rules than a phone, because the operating system does less by default.

Google Chrome and a managed Google account

• Create a child Google account under Family Link. They sign into Chrome with an account you manage, not a shared password.
• Turn on Safe Browsing. Settings → Privacy and security → Security → Safe Browsing (Enhanced protection is worth considering on a family PC).
• Limit extensions. Settings → Extensions. Allow only add-ons you recognise and approve.

Windows: a child account

• Settings → Accounts → Family → Add a family member (child). Windows links the account to Microsoft Family Safety.
• Set screen time schedules. The PC is only available in the hours you agree.
• Review activity. The family dashboard shows which apps opened and for how long.

The conversation that makes settings stick

Filters help. They also miss things — unkind messages from classmates, content inside an app, anything on mobile data away from home. A child who understands why a setting exists is less likely to work around it.

Name, school, address, phone number: explain these as details strangers can misuse, not as abstract "personal data". If your child wants a new app, try "Let's set it up together — private account, location off." rather than a flat no. A photo sent to one friend can end up anywhere; children routinely underestimate that.

And if they see something upsetting, your reaction in that moment matters more than the lecture afterwards. "Glad you told me" keeps the door open for the next time.

Three mistakes worth avoiding

Using parental controls only as punishment teaches bypassing, not safety. Switching every limit to maximum on day one often backfires — start with content filtering and time limits, then adjust as they show judgement. Finally, settings drift after app updates; a quarterly check takes ten minutes.

This week, if you do nothing else

• Set screen time limits on the phone (Screen Time on iOS, Family Link on Android).
• Turn on Safe Browsing in Chrome and your broadband provider's free filter — BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and the rest all include one.
• Ask one question without a device in the room: "Which of your apps knows where you are right now?"
• Open privacy settings in the three apps your child uses most.