On September 29, 2025, OpenAI introduced parental controls for ChatGPT, allowing parents and teens to link their accounts and giving families new tools to manage how teenagers use ChatGPT.

    Parents can set times when ChatGPT cannot be used and manage features such as voice mode, memory, image generation, and whether conversations may be used to improve models. Linked teen accounts also receive additional protections intended to reduce exposure to certain sensitive or age-inappropriate content.

    Importantly, linking accounts does not normally allow parents to read their teen’s conversations or chat history. In limited situations involving serious safety concerns, parents may receive safety notifications.

Comment from GAME-F

Generative AI is becoming more than a tool for searching or studying; it can also become an interactive presence with which children spend considerable time.

The key question is not simply how long children use AI, but how we design age-appropriate environments for that use.

    Parental controls therefore highlight a broader challenge for the AI era: how to balance child safety and autonomy, privacy, and appropriate parental involvement.

References

OpenAI — Introducing parental controls
OpenAI Help Center — Managing parental controls in ChatGPT