Get the weekly research letter
Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean. No account.
Users must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age required in their country) to register independently. Parents or guardians may create parent-managed accounts for children below the minimum age where available, and are responsible for their child's activity under these terms.
This analysis describes what WhatsApp's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes the minimum age framework for WhatsApp use and places parental responsibility for child activity directly within the terms. The availability of parent-managed accounts for children under 13 is noted as jurisdiction-dependent, and parents who create such accounts assume responsibility for compliance with these terms.
Meta offered rival AI chatbots free access to the WhatsApp Business API for one month in the European Economic Area. This follows EU regulatory pressure under the Digital Markets Act. The outcome of ongoing negotiations will determine whether third-party AI chatbot access becomes permanent, paid, or restricted.
View change record →Under this clause, independent account registration requires users to be at least 13 years old, with higher minimums applicable in certain jurisdictions. Parents who create and permit use of parent-managed accounts for children under the minimum age are subject to the terms and responsible for their child's activity on the platform.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Minimum Age and Parent-Managed Accounts and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →Monitoring
WhatsApp has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 20 platforms.
"You must be at least 13 years old to register for and use our Services on your own (or such greater age required in your country or territory). If you are under this age, your parent or guardian can create a parent-managed account for you if it is available in your country or territory. If you are creating a parent-managed account, please read these Terms with your child and ensure that you both understand them. Children on parent-managed accounts are permitted to manage their own account when they reach 13 (or the minimum age required in their country or territory). If you created a parent-managed account for a user under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country) and allow them to use our Services, you are subject to these Terms and responsible for your child's activity on our Services.Excerpt from WhatsApp's Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The minimum age provision engages COPPA in the United States, which establishes specific parental consent and data handling requirements for platforms that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The EU's GDPR sets minimum age for digital consent at 16 (with member states permitted to lower this to 13), and the DSA imposes additional obligations regarding minors. The UK's Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) imposes specific design and data protection requirements for services likely to be accessed by children. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The introduction of parent-managed accounts for children under 13 creates COPPA compliance obligations regarding verifiable parental consent, data minimization, and the types of information collected from child accounts. The document does not detail the specific data practices applicable to parent-managed accounts, which may require review of the Privacy Policy for complete compliance assessment. JURISDICTION FLAGS: US operators must assess COPPA applicability for parent-managed accounts with children under 13. EU member states may require minimum age of 16 for digital consent absent a lower national threshold. UK Children's Code requirements apply to any WhatsApp service likely to be accessed by children under 18, with specific high privacy standards and restrictions on data use. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations deploying WhatsApp in contexts where minors may participate (educational settings, youth organizations) should assess whether the platform's age verification and parental consent mechanisms satisfy applicable regulatory requirements. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Data protection officers should review the Privacy Policy's treatment of data collected through parent-managed accounts and assess whether parental consent mechanisms, data retention practices, and transparency disclosures satisfy COPPA, GDPR, and UK Children's Code requirements applicable to each relevant jurisdiction.
This provision establishes the minimum age framework for WhatsApp use and places parental responsibility for child activity directly within the terms. The availability of parent-managed accounts for children under 13 is noted as jurisdiction-dependent, and parents who create such accounts assume responsibility for compliance with these terms.
Under this clause, independent account registration requires users to be at least 13 years old, with higher minimums applicable in certain jurisdictions. Parents who create and permit use of parent-managed accounts for children under the minimum age are subject to the terms and responsible for their child's activity on the platform.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp.