Discord pilots new parental controls for teenagers

May 23, 2023

Misc

Discord, the widely used chat app with a monthly user base of 150 million, is undergoing significant changes as it seeks to enhance safety measures for its youngest users. Discord has confirmed that the company is currently testing a suite of parental controls.

This move comes as part of Discord's ongoing efforts to provide increased oversight for its teenage users. One of the new features being piloted is the "Family Center," a tool that allows parents to configure settings to monitor their teenagers' activities on the platform.

Discord's enhanced parental controls

As part of the live testing phase, currently limited to Discord's iOS app in the United States, the Family Center offers parents valuable insights into their teenagers' interactions on Discord. By utilizing this new feature, parents can access information such as the names and avatars of their teens' recently added friends, the servers their teens have joined or participated in, as well as the names and avatars of users they have messaged or engaged with in group chats.

This suite of parental controls aims to strike a balance between providing necessary oversight while respecting a teenager's privacy. It is worth noting that the content of messages and calls remains inaccessible to parents to uphold privacy standards.

Discord parental control feature is only available on iOS app for now - Image: Discord

Similarities with other platforms

Discord's approach aligns with the parental control implementation of the popular social media app Snapchat. Like Discord, Snapchat allows parents to gain insights into their teenagers' social interactions, such as friends and conversations, without accessing the actual message content or shared media. This approach acknowledges the importance of safeguarding teenagers while recognizing their need for autonomy and privacy.

Users involved in the Discord testing phase can access the Family Center hub through the User Settings section in the app. Positioned under the Privacy & Safety and Profiles sections, parents can familiarize themselves with the features and set up the controls by selecting the "Get Started" option.

Looking ahead

While these parental controls are being tested, it is essential to note that Discord has not provided a definitive timeline or commitment to their full implementation. A spokesperson for Discord stated that the company is continuously striving to enhance the platform's safety measures, particularly for younger users.

They added that updates would be shared if and when progress is made in this regard. Discord's response aligns with the broader trend among social media companies in proactively implementing parental control features to address concerns raised by regulators, lawmakers, and child safety organizations.