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Google Shields Kids with New Android 17 Controls
16 Jun
Summary
- Android 17 introduces enhanced parental controls for child device usage.
- New features allow app-specific time limits and download restrictions.
- Tech companies face scrutiny over child safety and addictive designs.
Google is expanding parental controls with its latest software update, Android 17, available on all compatible devices. Owners of Google Pixel devices can access these new tools through the Settings app, enabling customization of screen time limits for specific applications and overall phone usage.
Android 17 introduces a new widget for banning applications and allows parents to manage app downloads from the Google Play Store. Filters can be set to display content rated for everyone or teens, excluding adult-only applications. This development occurs amidst intense global scrutiny regarding technology's effect on children, with several nations considering or enacting bans on social media for teenagers.
Recent court rulings have held platforms like Instagram and YouTube liable for intentionally addictive designs that harm young users' mental health. Tech companies, however, advocate for age verification and device-level controls, like those in Android 17, as more effective solutions than broad bans. Apple is also enhancing its parental controls in iOS 27.
