Concerns about AI’s impact on young users have surged, prompting closer examination of whether conversational AI tools truly benefit—or risk—children’s mental health. Platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini sit at the forefront of this debate, with their developers implementing policies they claim will shield minors from harm.
ChatGPT has one of the most robust parental control configurations available. The service requires users to be at least 13 years old, and if a person is under 18, they must obtain permission from a parent to create an account. Accounts belonging to those under 18 are automatically converted into a ‘ChatGPT for Teens’ profile, which prioritizes studying and learning.
These ChatGPT for Teens accounts can also be linked to a parental account, but while parental consent is required for under-18s to use the service, ChatGPT clearly says that teens do have the option to break the link if they want. If you do persuade your kid to keep your accounts connected, you can set time limits on when the AI bot can be used, and tweak some of the sensitivity settings.
Parental Controls and Age Restrictions
Gemini integrates seamlessly with other Google services and adheres to general Google account regulations. It does not permit users under 13 unless they are part of a family group managed by an adult. You can oversee this family group via the Family Link portal, but the specific parental controls for Gemini are limited to turning access to the AI on or off.
Read Also: Amazon Discounts OLED Gaming Monitors Ahead
For users under 18, Google implements extra safety measures. These include preventing the AI from assuming a specific persona, guarding against emotional reliance on the bot, and discouraging harassment. Additionally, there are filters to restrict conversations about age-restricted topics like alcohol or vaping, as well as sensitive subjects such as eating disorders.
Google also uses behavioural signals, such as usage times, device patterns and cross-service consistency, to detect accounts that may be lying about their age, prompting extra verification before allowing full access.
Similar to ChatGPT, there is a gap where anyone can chat with Gemini for free in a web browser without any age verification. These sessions cannot be saved and hit usage caps quickly. However, these sessions are only subject to general account restrictions, not the specific protections designed for minors.
Meta AI will show up in several apps that young people and children are likely to use, including WhatsApp and Instagram, as well as having its own separate app on the web and on phones. The standard restrictions for Meta’s social media accounts apply to its AI too: A minimum age of 13, and restrictions for all under-18s.
Read Also: Amazon deep discounts Hisense U8QG TVs
Like many other platforms, Meta AI uses some AI magic to flag up accounts being used by minors. If you’re under 18 and on a Meta Teen account, you’ll come up against blocks if you try to get Meta AI to engage in sexual or romantic roleplay, or discuss alcohol or substance misuse.
Meta provides full parental control tools for its apps, including Meta AI, but linking a parent account is not mandatory for teens. Parents can access the Meta Family Center portal to receive reports on the general themes of their children’s AI conversations, though they cannot see the actual transcripts or prompts.
It is one of the more conservative AIs, avoiding sexual, violent or illegal topics. iOS 27 and other 2026 updates add optional parental controls that let families disable features like image creation or writing tools through Screen Time, though teens can opt out of the family group.
Microsoft’s Copilot applies age-verification signals to spot false birthdates. Parental supervision is optional, a teen 13-17 can use Copilot without linking to an adult account, and parents cannot read their chats. Under-18 users receive age-appropriate responses and no personalized ads; harmful prompts trigger safety messages and support links.
