Two Big Updates Every Parent Needs to Know August, 2025

This month brought two major changes that will affect your kids' online safety. One is good news. The other? Well, you need to take action tonight.

GOOD NEWS: YouTube's AI Age Verification Actually Works

YouTube just rolled out something that might surprise you. They've got an AI system that can tell if your kid is lying about their age. And you know what? It's actually working.

Here's the deal: When kids sign up claiming to be adults, YouTube's AI watches their behavior patterns. How they search, what they click, how long they watch videos. The AI has learned to spot the difference between a real 25-year-old and a 12-year-old pretending to be 25.

What this means for your family:

Your kid might suddenly get kicked off their "adult" YouTube account. Don't panic when this happens. This is actually good news. It means the system is working.

When they get moved to YouTube Kids or a supervised account, they're safer. The AI caught them before they wandered into content meant for adults.

Why this matters:

For years, kids have been typing in fake birthdays to access whatever they wanted. Now technology is finally catching up to protect them.

This is a real step in the right direction. Trust your kids, but trust YouTube's AI to be smarter than your 11-year-old's fake birthday.

URGENT: Instagram's New Map Feature Is Dangerous

Instagram just launched something called "Maps" that lets users share their location with friends. But here's the problem I need you to understand: your child's "friends" include people they've never met in real life.

What predators can see right now:

Where your child goes to school What time they get homeWhere they hang out after school Which bedroom window is theirs

Remember, on Instagram, "friends" often means strangers who sent a friend request. Your child accepts these requests thinking more followers equals popularity.

How to protect your child tonight:

Method 1: Through DMs / Instagram Map

Open Instagram
Go to your Direct Messages (DMs)
Tap the map icon at the top of your inbox
Tap the settings gear icon (top right corner of the map)
Under “Who can see your location?”, select No one or a small, trusted group
Tap Done or Update to confirm

Method 2: Through Settings

Open Instagram
Tap the 3-line menu (≡) in the top right
Tap “Settings and activity”
Go to “Story, Live, and Location”
Tap “Location Sharing (Instagram Map)”
Select No one
Tap Done

Look for accounts with no posts, stock photos, or profiles that seem too good to be true. These are red flags for fake accounts run by predators.

The conversation to have:

"Instagram friends aren't the same as real friends. Real friends already know where you live and where you go to school. Online strangers don't need that information."

Simple Action Steps for This Week

For YouTube: Don't fight the age verification if it happens Set up YouTube Kids for children under 13 Use YouTube's supervised mode for teens

For Instagram: Turn off all location sharing tonight Review friend lists together Remove accounts your child doesn't know in real life

Remember the basics: Put the phone to bed before your child goes to bed Know before they go and approve apps before download Trust your child, but trust a predator to be a predator

Parent Question of the Month

"My 14-year-old says all his friends have location sharing on. Why can’t I have Maps?"

Here's what I tell my boys: "Other families make different choices. Our family protects each other. When you're an adult and understand all the risks, you can make your own choices. Right now, my job is to keep you safe."

You're not being overprotective. You're being smart.

Remember: You can be their hero by taking action today, even if it's imperfect.

You got this,

Det. Mike

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