Google opens up to kids under 13 with Family Link

Google has its eye on your kids.

The tech giant is opening up its many online services to kids under 13 with a new tool called Family Link: an app that lets parents carefully manage the content on their kids' devices. It marks one of the first attempts by a major tech company to directly address the reality of kids using tech products, potentially acquiring many more customers in the process — albeit in a limited way.

Family Link allows kids to use real Google services — Gmail, Maps, Chrome and more — not watered down, "kiddie" versions. However, kid accounts are directly tied to parent accounts, and there are many granular controls over what kids can and can't do. Each app has an overall rating for its content (Maps, for example, is rated "G"), and parents can limit the time a child uses a specific app or service, or block it altogether. Read more...