Netflix (NFLX 0.83%) yesterday announced a massive upgrade to the parental controls available on its streaming platform in the face of stay-at-home orders and lockdowns around the globe.
Parents can use ratings to limit the movies and television shows that appear on a child's profile. This "profile maturity rating" tool allows adults to add varying controls for each individual family member's profile. These tools were developed using the ratings systems specific to each country.
Programs like Netflix's Sex Education may not be suitable for younger viewers. Image source: Netflix.
Another tool lets users block specific titles, regardless of the maturity rating. Parents also have the option of turning off auto-play to prevent unwanted bingeing sessions.
Netflix provided a screening page that allows parents to review what shows their children have been watching. This lets them flag content that may be inappropriate for the age or maturity level of that viewer's profile, helping Netflix further improve its controls.
Finally, parents now have the option of adding a four-digit PIN to each profile thus preventing children from accessing another profile that contains programming oriented toward a more mature audience.
