On Wednesday, Google revealed a set of enhancements for its parental control application Google Family Link. Additionally, the company plans to trial advanced machine-learning methods aimed at estimating users’ ages, thereby delivering experiences tailored to children’s needs on their devices.
Previously, Google announced intentions to implement machine learning to assess the ages of YouTube users, enhancing recommendation systems. However, a spokesperson informed TechCrunch that this feature will also be tested at the Google account level, implying its utility across various Google products, not just YouTube.
The age estimation model tests are set to commence in the U.S. later this year, with plans to extend to additional countries over time. Other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have already implemented age estimation and verification technologies.
In parallel, Google’s Family Link software is receiving several new features. This application enables parents or guardians to limit their children’s access to various types of content while managing privacy and security settings across multiple services, including Google Search, Photos, Assistant, YouTube, and Chrome.
Now, Family Link will introduce features for overseeing children’s screen time on their Android and Chrome devices, ultimately assisting them in maintaining focus during school hours.
A new functionality called School Time will start rolling out next week to Android smartphones and tablets. This feature allows parents to “automatically limit or adjust” their child’s device use during specific times, as well as restrict access to particular applications.
In the coming updates, parents will also have the capability to add contacts to their child’s device and establish controls that permit the child to only call or text those authorized contacts. This feature can be beneficial when providing phones to younger children who may need the ability to contact their parents or grandparents without reaching out to others.
According to Google, this feature is expected to be available starting in March.
Children using Android devices will soon have the ability to make in-store payments with Google Wallet later this spring. Google has stated that parents of supervised Android users under the age of consent will be able to add a payment method to their child’s Google Wallet, enabling kids to utilize tap-and-pay options. Parents will also have control over approving new cards, removing existing ones, adding gift cards and tickets, and accessing their child’s transaction history.
Later this year, teenagers will gain access to more AI-driven features, including the “Learn About” tool, which offers generative AI experiences aimed at interactive learning, as well as the AI research assistant NotebookLM. These will complement the existing AI tools available to teenagers, such as AI Overviews in Google Search, the AI chatbot Gemini, and Circle to Search.
Faced with increasing regulatory pressures both in the U.S. and internationally, Google and other tech corporations have begun implementing additional protections and privacy features for minors. In Google’s case, this has included making SafeSearch Filter the default for under-18 users, restricting sensitive advertisements, and applying age restrictions on YouTube content, among other measures.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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