Woman raises alarm after Google emails 13-year-old boy about ending supervision: ‘Predatory corporate practices’ | Today News

An online child safety advocate has criticised Google for what she described as an alarming intrusion into parental authority, after the company emailed her 12-year-old son informing him that he would soon be eligible to turn off parental supervision on his account.

The allegation was made by Melissa McKay, president of the Digital Childhood Institute, who shared screenshots of the email and related Google help pages in a LinkedIn post that has since gained widespread attention.

According to McKay, the email told her child he was “almost 13” and would soon be able to remove parental controls and take full control of his Google account. Google’s support pages state that once users turn 13, they can choose to stop account supervision without parental approval.

McKay described the practice as deeply troubling, arguing that a global technology company should not be encouraging children to bypass parental oversight. “A trillion-dollar corporation is directly messaging children to tell them they are ready to ‘graduate’ from parental supervision,” she wrote, adding that the instructions allow minors to disable controls without involving parents at any stage.

She further accused Google of overstepping boundaries that should remain firmly within families. According to McKay, such messaging reframes parents as obstacles rather than guardians, while positioning digital platforms as the new authority figures in a child’s life.

“This isn’t empowerment,” she wrote. “It’s engagement-driven behaviour. It’s data-driven behaviour. And it raises serious ethical questions about how tech companies interact with minors.”

McKay concluded by calling on corporations to stay out of decisions that directly affect children’s digital exposure and wellbeing, saying such choices should be made by parents, not platforms.

The post triggered a wave of reactions on social media, particularly from parents who claimed their own children had received similar emails. Several users said the issue extended beyond Google, with one parent alleging that Apple sent a comparable notification to their daughter when she turned 13, informing her that parental controls could be removed.

A user wrote, “What makes this even more concerning is that Google already sits inside our education system. When the same corporation then bypasses parents to directly message a child about removing supervision, it blurs a critical boundary between education infrastructure and commercial engagement. What is encouraging is that your daughter felt confident enough to tell you that Google contacted her directly. This is exactly how digital safety is developed by teaching children to communicate openly when something feels inappropriate, unclear, or misaligned with ethical and moral boundaries.”

Another user wrote, "This is disgusting. And last I checked, my "parental" rules last as long as my child is in my care. For most, that's 18, when they're still a minor."

“Exactly! My daughter got the same email. Thankfully, she came straight to me and showed me and we talked about why it was important to have a parent supervising what you're doing as much as possible. But... every single word you've written is exactly how I felt at the time. I couldn't articulate it as clearly as you have, though, at the time,” the third user commented.

According to the parent, the message led to tension at home, with the child questioning why restrictions were still in place if a technology company deemed her old enough to manage her own account. “Why don’t you trust me if Apple says it’s fine?” the child reportedly asked.

The controversy has reignited debate around children’s online safety, data privacy and the role of technology companies in shaping young users’ digital independence — especially at a time when regulators worldwide are scrutinising how platforms engage with minors.

Google has not publicly responded to the allegations so far.