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Safety and good use · Level beginner

Children, teens and AI: parental controls in ChatGPT and Gemini

What parental controls ChatGPT and Gemini offer according to their official pages, what happens with supervised accounts in Europe and how to talk to your children about AI.

By Cognenza editorial team · Updated · 3 min read · Sources cited

Chatbots are already on many teenagers’ phones. Banning without explaining rarely works; guiding and configuring works better.

ChatGPT: parental controls

According to OpenAI’s help:

  1. On the web, open Settings from your profile and go to Parental controls.
  2. Select Add family member, choose your teen’s phone or email and send the invite.
  3. Once accepted, select their name under Family members to review or change settings.

What it allows: managing selected settings, setting quiet hours and receiving safety notifications in limited situations. What it doesn’t: reading their conversations. Either of you can unlink, and the parent is notified if the teen does. OpenAI also explains that accounts identified as under 18 automatically get ChatGPT for Teens, with age-appropriate protections (help).

Gemini: careful if you live in Europe

Google lets parents give under-13s access to Gemini with Family Link, but its official help states that Gemini Apps aren’t available for supervised accounts in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK.

What the law says in Spain

Spain’s Organic Law 3/2018 (art. 7) lets minors consent to data processing from age 14; below that, parents or guardians must consent. Each service also sets its own minimum age.

Conversations worth more than a setting

  • AI makes mistakes and can sound very sure (hallucinations).
  • Don’t share full name, school, address, photos or friends’ data (what not to paste).
  • Images and voices can be fake (deepfakes).
  • If something feels wrong, tell someone. In Spain, INCIBE’s 017 also helps minors and families.

Frequently asked questions

Can I read my child’s ChatGPT conversations?

No. OpenAI says parental controls don’t let you read or monitor the teen’s conversations; only manage some settings, set quiet hours and receive safety notifications in limited situations.

Can my 10-year-old use Gemini in Europe?

Google allows access for under-13s via Family Link, but says Gemini Apps aren’t available for supervised accounts in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK.

At what age can a minor consent to data processing in Spain?

Spain’s Organic Law 3/2018 (art. 7) sets 14; below that, parental or guardian consent is required.

Glossary · Safety and good use

Keep reading

Sources

Official sources are linked in their original language.

  1. Parental controls in ChatGPT — OpenAI
  2. ChatGPT for Teens — OpenAI
  3. Guide your child’s Gemini Apps experience — Google
  4. Ley Orgánica 3/2018 de Protección de Datos Personales (art. 7) — BOE

Change log

  • : First published with official OpenAI and Google help and Spain’s data protection law as checked that day.

Educational content, prepared with the help of AI tools, with sources cited. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Tools change fast: if you spot something out of date, write to us at contacto@cognenza.com. How we work.