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- What is ChatGPT
- Why your child might be using ChatGPT
- Official ChatGPT age restrictions and how they’re enforced
- Is ChatGPT included in the social media ban?
- What ChatGPT costs
- Privacy: what happens to your child’s data when they use ChatGPT
- How to set up ChatGPT parental controls
- What to watch out for
- Fiona’s take on ChatGPT
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot made by a company called OpenAI. You type a question or request, and it writes back an answer. It can hold a conversation, explain things, write text, and create images.
Why your child might be using ChatGPT
Homework help is the most common reason. ChatGPT can explain a topic, check working, or suggest ideas for an essay. Some children also use it to write stories, plan games, or just chat out of curiosity.
Official ChatGPT age restrictions and how they’re enforced
OpenAI’s own terms say users must be at least 13. Anyone aged 13 to 17 needs a parent or guardian’s permission.
There’s no proper check on this. Most children can sign up by simply entering a date of birth. Since 2026, OpenAI has added a system that guesses a user’s age from how the account behaves, similar to TikTok, which is known as age inference. If the system thinks an account belongs to someone under 18, it switches on extra restrictions automatically, even if the birth date given says otherwise.
Is ChatGPT included in the social media ban?
No. The government’s proposed ban targets social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, not chatbots like ChatGPT.
Separately, the government has said any chatbot’s sexual or romantic roleplay features must be restricted for under-18s. ChatGPT already does this once an account is flagged as belonging to a teenager.
What ChatGPT costs
Free to use, with a limit on how many messages you can send in a set time.
A paid version, ChatGPT Plus, costs around £16 to £20 a month depending on VAT and exchange rates. It gives faster replies, higher limits, and earlier access to OpenAI’s more advanced models.
For homework help and everyday questions, the free version does everything a child needs.
Privacy: what happens to your child’s data when they use ChatGPT
By default, OpenAI can use conversations to train future versions of ChatGPT. This can be turned off in Settings, under Data Controls, by switching off “Improve the model for everyone.”
Conversations can still be kept for up to 30 days for safety checks, even with that setting off.
“Temporary Chat” starts a conversation that isn’t saved to your account, isn’t used for training, and won’t remember anything from earlier chats. But it isn’t fully private either. OpenAI keeps a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes, the same as an ordinary chat with training switched off.
OpenAI’s own account of who can access stored conversations describes a limited number of authorised staff, for reasons including engineering support, investigating potential abuse, and legal compliance, plus vetted contractors bound by confidentiality rules who review flagged content for abuse. This isn’t routine reading of chats, but it means Temporary Chat stops ChatGPT remembering things and stops training, rather than guaranteeing nobody at OpenAI could ever see it.
How to set up ChatGPT parental controls
A parent can link their account to their teen’s account (ages 13 to 17). Either side can start this: a parent can invite a teen, or a teen can invite a parent.
All the information below is lifted from the OpenAI parent controls FAQ page on July 29th 2026.
How to link accounts:
- From your own account, go to Settings, then Parental Controls.
- If you’re the parent starting it, select “Add family member” and enter your teen’s phone number or email. If your teen has already sent you an invitation, select “Accept invite” instead.
- The other person accepts the invitation from their own account.
- You’ll now see a Parental Controls page in your own Settings.
What you can then switch on or off for your teen:
- Quiet hours, so ChatGPT can’t be used during set times, such as after bedtime
- Voice mode, on or off
- Image generation, on or off
- Memory, so ChatGPT stops using saved details to personalise replies
- Study Mode as the default, which walks your teen through a problem step by step instead of giving the answer straight away
- Extra safeguards that reduce sensitive or age-inappropriate content, which are on by default when accounts link, but can be turned off, so it’s worth checking this hasn’t happened
What you’ll be told, and what you won’t:
You’ll get an alert if a specially trained review team detects signs of serious self-harm risk, or if your teen’s account is banned for content related to violence.
You will not be able to read your teen’s actual conversations. The alerts are automatic flags for specific safety concerns, not general monitoring.
Your child can choose to unlink their account and you will receive a notification if they do this.
What to watch out for
ChatGPT can sound confident even when it’s wrong. It sometimes states incorrect facts as if they were certain.
It has no reliable way to check who’s actually typing. A child under 13 can use it without anyone noticing.
Relying on it too heavily for schoolwork can mean a child stops practising the thinking the work was meant to build.
Fiona’s take
ChatGPT can be useful, and using it together helps your child get comfortable with how these tools actually work, not just what they can do for them. You know your child better than anyone else, so if you think they are able to use it sensibly then it’s your call.
My suggestion is that you make sure their account is set up with parental controls and keep an open dialogue about what they’re using it for, and how often. Relying on it too much for things like homework can mean they miss out on moments for critical thinking. And whilst ChatGPT isn’t specifically designed for companionship, it’s always worth keeping an eye out for signs that you may need to step in.