X is one of the most well-known and influential social networking platforms, as well as being a hotbed of controversy – especially since Elon Musk’s acquisition in 2022. While public perception of the platform formerly known as Twitter (and still referred to as such in most circles) remains divided, most can agree that X is not a suitable place for children to spend their time online.
Although not as popular among kids as TikTok and Instagram, X still ranked as one of the most-popular social media apps among children in 2024. As the polarizing platform is clearly on kids’ radars, we, as parents, need to know if X’s safety features are enough to protect them from the dangers on the platform – and what to do if they aren’t.
How old do you have to be to use X/Twitter?
While X acknowledges that the platform is not primarily for children, it allows anyone above the age of 13 to sign up and use it. In the EU, the minimum age rises to 16. It’s worth mentioning that such age restrictions are common for social media platforms, and exist to comply with data protection laws rather than to keep children safe.
Both Google Play and the Apple App Store have 17+ ratings for X.
Why we consider X/Twitter unsafe for children
X can be a useful platform for adults to engage with like-minded individuals, share opinions, and exchange news or information. However, the platform has a dark side that poses significant risks for younger users, including but not limited to:
- Inappropriate content. X’s rules explicitly allow users to share adult and violent content on the platform.
- Cyberbullying and trolling, whether in tweets, comments, or DMs (direct messages).
- Hate speech, fake news, and misinformation are widely found throughout the platform.
- Potential for predation and grooming, as strangers might DM minors.
Does X/Twitter have parental controls?
Given that the platform is designed for adults, it’s not surprising that X does not offer supervised parental controls like those found on TikTok and Instagram, which offer Family Pairing and Teen Accounts, respectively.
While not parental controls, X allows you to adjust some privacy settings that might offer some protection for young users. These are the automatic options for users under 18; however, since the settings aren’t locked or controlled by a parent account, they require a certain amount of trust in your teen.
Enable “Protect your posts”
In Settings > Privacy and safety > Audience, media and tagging, check “Protect your posts”. This allows only approved followers to see and interact with your teen’s post, and replies to public accounts are only visible to approved followers. While you’re there, make sure Photo tagging is switched off.
Allow message requests from “No one”
In Settings > Privacy and safety > Direct messages, select “Allow message requests from no one”. This ensures that only users your teen follows can send them direct messages.
Disable “Display media that may contain sensitive content”
Unchecking this in Settings > Privacy and safety > Content you see hides inappropriate content from your child’s feed. X also claims to apply enhanced filters to reduce the visibility of sensitive content in the feeds of users under 18.
Mute words to hide content
In Settings > Privacy and safety > Mute and block, you can mute specific words, hashtags, or topics to prevent kids from seeing harmful content related to those terms.
Disable discoverability
In Settings > Privacy and safety > Discoverability and contacts, ensure both options are unchecked to prevent people from finding your child on the platform through their phone number or email address.
How to block inappropriate content on X/Twitter
As well as disabling the option to see inappropriate content and muting problem words (as explained above), you can also mute, block, and report individual accounts that post material you think is unsuitable. Click the three dots at the top of the post, and you can choose Block or Mute @account, and/or Report post, and follow the instructions.
X/Twitter’s parental controls: Qustodio’s recommendation
X isn’t designed for children, yet children as young as 13 in the U.S. and 16 in Europe can create an account and use the platform. While the platform does have some safety settings that can be adjusted to help protect young users, X doesn’t have supervised parental controls like those found on TikTok and Instagram. This means that a child can use X unmonitored and change the safety settings without you knowing.
However, you can use an all-in-one parental control solution like Qustodio to help keep them safe on the platform – or keep them off it.
You can use Qustodio to:
- Block the X app from being opened
- Monitor the time your teen spends on X
- Set usage limits
- Receive an alert when the app is first opened
- Pause internet access at the push of a button
X is not a safe place for children to spend their time online, and we do not recommend the platform for anyone under 17. A minor can easily find pornographic and violent content, hate speech, and fake news; and the lack of parental controls means they can be exposed to predators and cyberbullies. Although X’s settings can be adjusted to provide some protection for young users, they are not enough to ensure their safety on the platform.
