Age Suitability & Parental Controls

Last updated: October 5, 2026

webPunk is a social platform operated by AE Labs Inc. This page explains who webPunk is for, the protections that apply to younger members, and the optional parental supervision tools available in the App.

Our guiding principle for anything involving younger members is oversight, not surveillance. A parent should be able to help keep their child safe without reading the private conversations that child has with their friends.

Who webPunk Is For

You must be at least 13 years old to use webPunk, and you must also meet any higher minimum age set by your country or the app store you download it from. We may ask for your year of birth to apply the right protections. Adults 18 and over use webPunk without these age-related measures.

Protections for Minors

These protections apply automatically to accounts held by members under 18 — nothing to set up:

  • Only friends can message or call a minor. Direct messages and calls between a minor and another account are possible only once they are friends, which takes a friend request that the other side accepts.
  • Only friends can add a minor to a group. No one can pull a minor into a group chat unless they are friends, so a stranger cannot reach a minor through a group.
  • Following in the hub needs agreement. No one can make their avatar follow another player, or be followed, without that player accepting, and either side can stop at any time.
  • Blocking is respected everywhere. A blocked account cannot message, call or add a minor to a group. Anyone can mute, block or report accounts and content at any time, including other players in the hub.

The hub is a shared space: other players nearby can see a member's avatar and chat bubbles and, while their microphone is on, hear their voice. Members can turn their microphone off and mute anyone.

Parental Supervision

Parental supervision is optional and available in the App under Settings → Parental controls.

  • Consent on both sides. A parent (an account aged 18 or over) and a child (an account under 18) link accounts only if both agree, and either one can end supervision at any time.
  • The child always knows. Supervision is clearly shown on the child's account whenever it is active.

A parent can

  • see the accounts their child messages and is friends with;
  • block specific accounts on their child's behalf;
  • see the time their child spends in the App and set a daily time limit;
  • receive safety alerts, such as when their child starts talking to a new contact.

A parent can never

  • read the contents of private messages;
  • log in to, post from, or take over the account;
  • supervise an account without the child's consent.

Privacy for Younger Members

We handle younger members' data with care, and we do not sell it. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, how ads and measurement work and the choices available, and our Terms of Service set out the rules for using webPunk.

Contact Us

Questions about age suitability or parental supervision? Reach us at support@ael.org.