TL;DR: WhatsApp Setup Guide; EU Pushes Age 16; Virginia Limit Challenged

In this week's Plugged In by Wired Parents, we tackle a question many parents inevitably wrestle with: should I allow my child on WhatsApp? Our complete setup guide shows you how to configure the app safely from day one. The choice isn't just "allow it" or "ban it.", there's a middle ground, but only if you change the default settings that leave children vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Europe moves toward stricter online safety rules for under-16s, and Virginia's attempt to limit teens to one hour of daily social media has sparked a legal battle over who gets to decide: parents or government?

Here's what parents need to know.

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The European Parliament’s consumer protection committee is calling for tougher digital safeguards for young people, including a minimum age of 16 for social media and AI companions unless parents give explicit consent. Lawmakers say existing rules don’t sufficiently protect minors from targeted recommendations or environments designed to maximise time-on-platform.

A major focus is addictive design, such as infinite scroll, autoplay and dark patterns that subtly push children to keep engaging. The committee also wants tighter restrictions on loot boxes and other gambling-style features that remain widely accessible to teens. These proposals build on the Digital Services Act but argue that enforcement is currently too inconsistent.

If adopted, these changes could raise age limits across Europe and force platforms to redesign experiences with youth wellbeing in mind. It reflects a wider global shift: regulators are increasingly moving from warnings to mandatory guardrails for how children interact with digital services.

Read more: Wired Parents

A wave of countries is taking action against gaming platform Roblox, with several implementing outright bans as concerns mount over child safety failures.

Who's Taking Action:

Iraq banned Roblox on 20 October 2025 following a Federal Supreme Court ruling. The Ministry of Communications cited "exposure of children and teenagers to potential exploitation and cyber extortion through direct in-game communication" and content "incompatible with Iraqi moral and cultural values." The ministry warned of "rising cases of digital addiction and social isolation among young users." Sources: Iraq Business News, Reuters/Al Arabiya, CP24

The Netherlands launched a formal Child Rights Impact Assessment of Roblox on 20 October 2025, the same methodology previously applied to Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. The Dutch Ministry of Interior confirmed the investigation following questions from national broadcaster NOS. Outgoing State Secretary Eddie van Marum stated: "There is also a downside: bullying, shocking images, unwanted contact, and health problems due to too much screen time." Sources: NL Times, Anadolu Agency

Lebanon: The Lebanese Association for Statistics, Training, and Development urged the government in August 2025 to ban Roblox, estimating that "at least 30 percent of Lebanese children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 have already tried Roblox or continue to use it regularly." The organisation warned of "the presence of pornographic or violent content directly accessible to children." Source: L'Orient Today

Malaysia: Politician Lee Lam Thye proposed government legislation to ban Roblox, with Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri stating the government was "weighing the possibility" of a ban. Source: Various news reports

Also Taking Action:

The BBC Investigation:

In March 2025, a BBC investigation exposed serious flaws in Roblox's safety systems—even after the platform's November 2024 safety overhaul. BBC journalists successfully created fake accounts for a 15-year-old and 27-year-old, then steered conversations toward off-platform, adult-focused games—a direct violation of Roblox's rules.

When confronted with worried parents' concerns, Roblox CEO David Baszucki told the BBC: "If you're not comfortable, don't let your kids be on Roblox." He added that he would "trust parents to make their own decisions." Source: eMarketer report on the BBC investigation

Middle East Chat Suspension:

In September 2025, Roblox temporarily suspended in-game chat features across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen, while implementing tighter moderation of Arabic content. Sources: Bloomberg, The National

The Scale of the Problem:

While Roblox has implemented new parental controls, open-sourced PII detection tools, and partnered with attorneys general on child safety initiatives, the growing list of countries reviewing or banning the platform suggests many governments believe these measures aren't enough.

Your child is asking for WhatsApp. Their friends all have it. They need it to coordinate plans, they say. You're wondering: is this safe?

This week on the blog, we tackle this decision point. It’s not necessarily a simple yes or no, so we give a practical guide to understanding what you're actually agreeing to and how to set it up safely from the start.

The Choice Isn't Black and White

For many families, completely restricting access to messaging apps means social isolation. Research shows WhatsApp group participation significantly affects pupils' sense of belonging at school.

But unrestricted access with default settings creates serious risks. WhatsApp's default configuration is designed for adults, not children and certain features are particularly prone to enabling harmful behaviour.

The choice doesn't have to be binary. The question is whether you've configured it safely.

What the Research Shows

Group chats create intense FOMO and operate 24/7 with no natural stopping point. Children who sleep with phones nearby lose nearly an hour of sleep compared to those who don't.

Even well-raised children can participate in cruel behaviour in group chats, not because they're inherently mean, but because group dynamics create conditions where cruelty becomes normalised. Research found that approximately 30% of pupils reported cyberbullying victimisation in WhatsApp classmate groups, with nearly double that number witnessing it happen to others.

Features like disappearing messages and "view once" media make monitoring impossible and can embolden risky behaviour.

The Middle Ground Exists

Many families have found a practical approach: allowing messaging apps with specific, clearly communicated boundaries that address the highest-risk features whilst still enabling social connection.

Out of the box, WhatsApp allows anyone in the world to add your child to group chats without permission and automatically downloads and saves all received images to their camera roll. Anyone with your child's phone number can message them directly. These are the exact features that transform a useful communication tool into something potentially harmful.

But you can disable the problematic features before your child ever starts using it. There are seven critical settings to change, rules about communication and time boundaries that research shows actually work, and clear guidance on when to say no entirely.

This week's blog post is a complete setup guide for parents at the decision point, whether you're considering WhatsApp for the first time or realising you need to implement boundaries after already giving access. It's not too late to get it right.

The goal isn't to create fear or impose rigid control. It's to understand what you're agreeing to and make informed choices that work for your family's situation.

Read the full guide: How to Set Up WhatsApp Safely

You shouldn't have to decide in the dark.

While European countries move to ban social media for under-15s entirely, certain US states are grappling with First Amendment concerns over regulating young people's access. A new Virginia law limiting teenagers to one hour of daily social media use has sparked a legal battle over who has the authority to regulate children's screen time.

The Law:

Virginia's SB 854, set to take effect on 1 January 2026, requires social media platforms to restrict users under 16 to 60 minutes per day unless parents grant permission for more time. Platforms must use age verification methods to identify minors and enforce the limit.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the bill in May, stating it would create "more healthy, safe kids in Virginia, less social media."

The Challenge:

Tech industry group NetChoice filed a federal lawsuit on 17 November, arguing the law violates the First Amendment. "The First Amendment forbids government from imposing time-limits on access to lawful speech," said Paul Taske, Co-Director of NetChoice's Litigation Center.

The group also warns that age verification requirements create privacy risks, as platforms must collect and verify personal data from all users to enforce the restrictions.

The Question:

Virginia argues the state must protect children from platforms designed to be addictive. NetChoice contends these decisions belong to families, not legislators—and that speech restrictions harm everyone's rights.

NetChoice has successfully blocked similar laws in other states on constitutional grounds. Virginia joins California, Connecticut, New York, and Utah in attempting to regulate social media's impact on minors.

The case raises a fundamental question: when it comes to teenagers' online activity, should government set the rules, or should parents?

Courts will decide before the law's January deadline.

Source: WebPro News

For more articles from the week, head over to Wired-Parents.com

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