A child rights advocacy organization in the U.S. is accusing Google of undermining parental authority by allowing children to disable supervision on their accounts once they turn 13. Melissa McKay of the Digital Childhood Institute highlighted that Google’s practices, which enable minors to terminate oversight, may violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the 2014 FTC Consent Decree. Activists express concern that this messaging positions parents as barriers to freedom, promoting unprepared tech independence among youth. Google has faced scrutiny over its relationship with children and teens, including past legal issues related to data collection.
