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Pokémon Go launches parental login portal for more oversight of young players

Pokémon Go launches parental login portal for more oversight of young players

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Better late than never

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Pokemon Go
James Bareham / The Verge

Pokémon Go is getting some better parental control options in the near future, with developer Niantic adding a new Niantic Kids log-in platform that will let parents better manage their children’s privacy in the augmented-reality app.

Niantic Kids adds a new portal that gives parents the option to review and approve their kids’ in-app permissions before they start playing, and offers better control over what personal information gets shared in the game. The Niantic Kids platform was built in conjunction with SuperAwesome’s Kids Web Services, a company that develops tools for making kid-friendly apps and websites (and is also certified by the ESRB).

Just in time for new player-to-player features

Given how popular Pokémon Go is, it’s almost surprising that it’s taken Niantic this long to implement better parental controls, but better late than never. And given that the game is getting more direct player-to-player interaction in the near future with trading and new social features, it’s more important than ever that Niantic offer more options to keep younger players safe.

Plus, Niantic has other kid-friendly games coming up in the future — like the upcoming Harry Potter game — so it’s likely the company will have plenty of opportunities to use the Niantic Kids platform going forward.