There have been recent growing concerns regarding a WhatsApp group phenomenon known as ‘Add Everyone’. These groups, which can take various forms, are alarming due to their potential to expose children and young people to explicit and harmful content, including sexual imagery, material promoting self-harm, and other inappropriate messages. These groups often lack control over membership, making it easy for individuals with harmful intentions to gain access to young users. The encrypted nature of WhatsApp means that content shared within these groups is challenging to monitor, raising serious safety risks.
To help safeguard your children, it is important to remember that the minimum age a person should be using WhatsApp at is 13. We encourage you to foster open discussions about online safety in a relaxed manner with your children if you have allowed them to use WhatsApp. This will enable your child to feel comfortable sharing their online experiences with you. Additionally, adjusting privacy settings is vital; ensure that only known contacts can add them to groups or view their information. As well as this, make sure to modify auto-saving settings to prevent harmful images from saving onto their devices. Finally, remind your child of the importance of reporting inappropriate content, blocking harmful users, and maintaining their online privacy.
