Discord makes it easier for parents to monitor their children's activity on the platform

SadaNews - The Discord platform has launched a new update that provides parents and guardians with new ways to stay informed about their children's activity on the platform while maintaining their independence.

The update, which the platform implemented for the "Family Center" section, adds more detailed activity for guardians, optional reporting notifications for teenagers, and new parental controls for direct messaging and content filters designed to enhance transparency and dialogue.

Teenagers can choose to alert guardians when they file a safety report, and no content will be shared; only an email notification that something has happened, according to a report by Digital Trends, a technology news site reviewed by Al Arabiya Business.

Parents can specify who can send direct messages to their teenage children, activate or deactivate filters for sensitive content, and adjust specific data and privacy settings.

Both teenagers and parents will be able to see the "Family Center" dashboard itself, with no hidden views or spying on chats.

This update is considered significant because it does not leave all control in the hands of the parents; rather, Discord aims for this update to stimulate more dialogue between teenagers and parents.

Teenagers will have the ability and awareness to choose whether they want to involve their parents, and they will see exactly what parents see. Meanwhile, parents will gain broader insights instead of chat logs, allowing them to provide support rather than just monitoring.

This move by Discord comes at a time when more apps and platforms are re-evaluating ways to keep teenagers safe online while maintaining their independence.

Platforms like Instagram utilize "PG-13" movie ratings to filter content intended for adults, while TikTok adds "nighttime relaxation" alerts late at night and a screen time lock.

Alongside social media applications, the new parental alert system in the ChatGPT chatbot notifies parents when a teenager shows signs of emotional distress.