Review children's app and connected-toy privacy

Start with the device, app and a conversation

The FTC recommends talking about family expectations and choosing controls for the actual devices in use. Explain the planned changes with the child, and review the controls as needs change. These steps are for a parent or guardian managing an authorized family setup. FTC: choosing and discussing parental controls

List the toy, companion app and relevant account. Read its notice for collection, storage, sharing and deletion; check whether it has a camera or microphone and how use is indicated. Do not assume a toy without a screen works without online data. FTC: questions about connected toys

Review Apple family controls for iOS or iPadOS 27

Apple's September 14, 2026 instructions describe the updated iOS/iPadOS 27 experience, supported family-group software and organizer/parent role. If devices cannot all update, Apple provides the previous experience or controls directly on the child's device. Labels and defaults vary with age and region. Apple: current family privacy controls

1. On the parent's iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Family > the child's name. Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Privacy Restrictions. Review each relevant category and choose whether changes are allowed. Apple: current family privacy controls
2. For an app or website, return to the child's family settings > Apps & Websites. Select it and use the documented Block option if appropriate. Blocking dims an app; it does not delete it. Review existing permissions and developer-held data separately. Apple: current family privacy controls

Review existing permissions on a supervised Android device

Google's instructions cover Android 6.0 or later and Chrome OS 71 or later. Current Family Link app documentation was checked 10-24-2026; an installed app build was not tested. Some apps can stop working correctly when permissions are denied. Google: supervised-device app permissions

1. In Family Link, select the child > Screen time > Time limits > App limits. Select the app > App details > Permissions, then review the permission. Repeat for each relevant device. Google: supervised-device app permissions
2. For who can grant a permission, use Controls > Signed-in devices > the device > App permissions. Select the permission and choose Only parents if appropriate. Then inspect existing grants; this choice does not revoke them. Google: supervised-device app permissions

Review third-party account access as a separate task

A third-party app may already hold data after its account access is removed. Google recommends considering a separate deletion request to that company. Removing access is a future-access control, not proof of historical erasure. Google: third-party account access

1. In Family Link, select the child > Controls > Account settings > Controls for third-party apps > Manage third-party app access. Review the listed apps. Select an unwanted connection and use Remove access after checking what the app needs. Google: third-party account access

Check the iPhone exception and company-held information

If the child uses an iPhone or iPad, Google lists Family Link device-location, app-permission/blocking, usage-limit and Chrome-restriction limits. Use the applicable Apple controls and app settings; do not infer that the Android instructions cover that device. Google: limits on iPhone and iPad

For a covered service, the FTC explains parental choices to review collected information, withdraw consent and seek deletion. Read the company's actual process and provide truthful verification through its official route. Consent to collection and disclosure can differ. Changing a device permission alone is not a company deletion request. FTC: parents and children's privacy rights

For the mechanism behind this checklist, read the accompanying explanation of toy apps and third-party code. Settings reduce selected access; the case example is not a guarantee that the chosen app has stopped every data flow. FTC: Apitor case and status