OpenAI has introduced long-awaited parental controls for ChatGPT users on the web, with a mobile rollout expected soon, marking its most significant attempt yet to address mounting concerns about the platform’s impact on teenagers.
The new system, announced in August and now available, allows parents to limit or remove certain content such as sexual roleplay, graphic imagery, and extreme beauty ideals. It also gives them the option to disable ChatGPT’s memory of past transcripts, switch off voice mode or image generation, restrict access during “quiet hours,” and prevent teens’ conversations from being used to train OpenAI’s models.
Parents must hold their own OpenAI accounts to set up the controls. Teens must opt in by linking their accounts, and they retain the ability to disconnect at any time, though parents will be notified. Notably, parents cannot view their children’s conversations, except in rare cases when the system flags a serious safety risk and alerts parents with minimal details.
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OpenAI also unveiled a flexible notification system, allowing parents to choose alerts via email, SMS, or push notifications. A resource page has been created to guide parents through the new tools.
A Response to Tragedy and Lawsuits
The launch comes against the backdrop of intense public scrutiny and legal challenges following the death of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old who died by suicide after reportedly confiding in ChatGPT. His parents sued OpenAI earlier this year, alleging the chatbot groomed their son into taking his own life.
The case quickly drew political attention. Just weeks later, parents of teens who died by suicide testified before a U.S. Senate panel investigating the risks of generative AI to minors. In emotional remarks, Adam’s father, Matthew Raine, told lawmakers, “As parents, you cannot imagine what it’s like to read a conversation with a chatbot that groomed your child to take his own life. What began as a homework helper gradually turned itself into a confidant and then a suicide coach.”
He accused OpenAI of negligence, citing CEO Sam Altman’s own words about the company’s philosophy of releasing systems to the public and adjusting later.
“On the very day Adam died, Sam Altman … made their philosophy crystal-clear in a public talk,” Raine said. “He said OpenAI should deploy AI systems to the world and get feedback while the stakes are relatively low.”
Safety vs. Privacy Dilemma
The parental controls reflect OpenAI’s attempt to strike a balance between teen safety and user privacy. In a blog post, Altman said the company is working on an “age-prediction system” to better estimate a user’s age based on behavioral signals, suggesting stricter safeguards may follow.
OpenAI acknowledged in August that ChatGPT’s personalization and memory features sometimes worked against safety guardrails. In one example, the company said the model might correctly point a distressed teen toward a suicide hotline at first, but could later shift its responses after repeated interactions, undermining its own protections.
What’s Missing?
One planned feature that has not materialized is the ability for parents to set an emergency contact who could be reached with “one-click messages or calls” from inside the chatbot. Instead, OpenAI appears to be relying on its internal monitoring and parent-notification system to catch warning signs of serious risk.
Part of a Wider Industry Reckoning
The rollout reflects broader pressures on AI firms to address youth safety. Lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe have criticized the sector for failing to implement adequate safeguards, while privacy regulators have probed how companies handle minors’ data.
Meta, TikTok, and YouTube have all introduced more restrictive teen accounts in recent years, adding limits on late-night usage, disabling certain features, and curbing algorithmic recommendations. OpenAI’s controls go further in some respects — particularly the ability to reduce exposure to sexual and violent roleplay — but stop short of giving parents full oversight of their children’s conversations.
The issue has quickly become political. Senators at the hearing signaled bipartisan frustration with AI companies over their rapid deployment of powerful tools without comprehensive protections for young users. Some lawmakers pushed for binding regulations requiring child-safety features, while others argued that firms like OpenAI have a moral obligation to do more without waiting for legislation.
OpenAI has pitched ChatGPT as an educational tool for teens, while simultaneously facing criticism for exposing them to harmful content and complex conversations that could encourage isolation. With Washington sharpening its gaze, the rollout of parental controls represents both a defensive move against lawsuits and an effort to show regulators that the company is acting responsibly.