Parental Control Software Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Operating System (Windows, Android, iOS, and Cross Platform/Multiplatform), By Deployment (On-premise and Cloud), By Application (Residential and Educational Institutes), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

The global parental control software market size was valued at USD 1.40 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.57 billion in 2025 to USD 3.39 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period.

The parental control software considered in the scope of this study includes Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link, Kaspersky Safe Kids for PC, Norton Family, Avast Family Shield, AT&T Secure Family App, and more.

Parental control software is a tool that enables parents to monitor their kid’s internet usage, record their online activities, block & filter websites & content, limit the time spent on the internet, and view their browsing history and communications. Most schools have included computers, laptops, and tablets in their curriculums, which has increased the need to install monitoring tools to filter content and restrict websites. Similarly, parents are becoming more anxious about their children's safety and well-being with the growing avenues of multimedia entertainment and constantly changing technologies. Key players in the market are offering new and innovative solutions to provide more activity monitoring tools.

Key players in the market are offering new and innovative solutions to provide more activity monitoring tools, thereby contributing to market growth.

The temporary closure of schools and other educational institutes amid the COVID-19 pandemic affected children's learning activities across the globe. According to estimates published by UNESCO, about 1.3 billion students across the world have been unable to attend school or university since March 2020.

This direct access to smart devices and over-exposure to the internet and digital platforms might trigger negative results. Thus, it has become essential for parents to ensure the content the kids are accessing through these platforms is appropriate. Not only has the exposure to uncensored internet content, but it has resulted in increasing concerns about cyber safety.

Parental Control Software Market Trends

Surge in Use of Social Media by Kids to Expand Market Opportunities

Social media platforms and applications have witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years and are expected to be the largest source of data, engagement, and communication.

Most children use social media, a space occupied by strangers, where not every stranger has a good intention. These children might be influenced by online predators, and parents need to be aware of this activity. These predators can send children abusive messages and harsh comments, which would eventually impact a kid’s mental health. Kids can also become prey to cyberbullying, which can be damaging to the developing brains of kids. This increases the necessity for parents to have a parental control application or software that can be used to control and monitor their children’s social media activities. 

According to a Hootsuite report on the Global State of Digital 2022, social media users in 2022 augmented by 4.2%, and approximately 75% of the global population aged 13 and beyond uses social media.

As per the World Economic Forum Report 2022, almost half of the youngsters aged between 13 -17 years are online constantly. Meanwhile, teen smartphone users in the U.S. have increased to 95% in 2022.

As a result of an increase in parental scrutiny and regulation, social media sites have implemented parental control locking tools that help parents gauge the amount of time children spend on social media and the internet. This is expected to boost the growth of the parental control software market. Various social media platforms and entertainment applications have implemented age restrictions and built-in parental control apps to observe children’s screen time. Nonetheless, age restrictions can be difficult to impose and easily circumvented. Although in-app parental controls are evolving, they still have a long way to go to protect children.

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Parental Control Software Market Growth Factors

Rise in Government Regulations to Standardize Digital Content for Children's Safety to Drive Market Growth

Online content offers a variety of educational, social, and entertainment benefits to kids. However, there are perceived dangers, especially with internet content and the behaviour and interaction risks associated with internet-facilitated peer-to-peer communication. The use of parental control tools enables parents to limit children’s exposure to unwanted social media posts and helps protect children from unethical practices such as cyberbullying. Governments across countries focus on ensuring child safety regulations for digital media applications. For instance,

• In April 2023, the U.S. lawmakers, a bipartisan coalition, proposed new legislation that imposes additional regulations and guidelines for children below the age of 18 years for using social media. The Act implies a strict age-verification constraint, mandating social media platforms to verify the age of all user accounts.


• In May 2022, the European Commission adopted BIK+ (Better Internet for Kids) strategies to enhance age-suitable digital amenities and ensure every kid is protected, respected, and protected online. It aims for better, more informative online services and the best content for children.

Such regulations and guidelines, coupled with parental guidance are expected to drive the global market growth.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Initial Cost of Software and Data Privacy Concerns to Hamper Market Growth

Parental control software provides cutting-edge functionality and advanced applications at a high cost. For some parents, installing such software can be quite expensive. Many websites provide innovative parental control functionalities at a high cost. Thus, the high initial price is a crucial limitation that can impede the adoption of parental control tools.

The software can be attacked by malware and is subjected to data breaches. This software can also contain an infection or pose other threats to phones or computer devices, resulting in significant data loss. It may also harm other electronic devices in its vicinity. Thus, these issues associated with parental control software might impede the market growth.

Parental Control Software Market Segmentation Analysis

By Operating System Analysis

Increasing Usage of Desktop for Gaming Aids the Growth of Windows Software

On the basis of operating system, the market is categorized into Windows, Android, iOS, and cross-platform/multiplatform.

The windows segment is likely to gain the maximum market share during the forecast period. The kids are spending more time on gaming, video calling, and accessing OTT platforms and YouTube through laptops. Thus, the demand for Windows operating systems is expected to rise as they have robust and reliable parental control tools.

The android segment is likely to witness rapid growth during the forecast period as children are increasing the time spent on smartphones. As per the Common Sense Media report in 2019, teens spent an average of seven hours on a smartphone just for entertainment activities. In addition, parents belonging to the low-income group can now afford smartphones for their kids’ education, which is expected to drive the demand for Android-based parental control software. The iOS segment is also set to display steady growth owing to its increasing popularity among teenagers. Similarly, various players are offering cross-platform/multiplatform software to easily monitor entertainment platforms on all home devices, thus driving the demand for cross-platform/multiplatform software.

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By Deployment Analysis

Ease of Access and Scalability to Surge Cloud-based Software Demand

Based on deployment, the market is bifurcated into on-premise and cloud.

The cloud segment is expected to hold a dominant market share during the forecast period. Cloud-based software is more in demand as the tools are hosted remotely on the vendor’s server and extremely stable with less downtime. The software is offered on a subscription basis. Users need to pay a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to use parental control software and receive automatic updates and support services.

On-premise parental control tools are installed directly onto user hardware, which is either a computer, server, or private network. On-premise tools are bought by paying one-time perpetual license fees, and the cost depends on the number of coexisting users. However, the user has to pay extra for training, support, and updates.

By Application Analysis

Rising Online Security Concerns to Increase Adoption of Software among Residential Users

By application, the market is divided into residential and educational institutes.

The residential segment is expected to dominate the market. In the past years, issues such as increasing screen time, rise in the use of social media, fear of children getting exposed to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and child abuse have led parents to install this software on their children’s devices. The COVID-19 pandemic further raised security concerns due to the sudden introduction of online learning platforms during the lockdown period.

Educational institutes are also steadily adopting the software owing to the increasing number of government initiatives to promote digital education. Governments are focused on installing this software to safeguard students' online interactions. This software allows educational institutes to monitor the students' online activities and block access to any inappropriate websites, content, and applications.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

The global market is classified across five regions: North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific.

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North America leads the global market share due to the region’s early adoption of digitalization in the education sector. Stringent government regulations regarding children's online safety are surging the adoption of this software in North America. For instance, laws in the U.S., such as the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), are employed to safeguard children's information. An increase in the rate of web crimes, such as child abuse, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment, is a major concern amongst parents, which has increased awareness and the importance of installing this software on a child’s device.

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Asia Pacific is expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period. The region is being looked at as a lucrative market by key players for establishing their business network. With the growing adoption of e-learning and distance learning courses, educational institutes across countries, such as India, South Korea, China, and more are focusing on strengthening the digital well-being of students.

In Europe, strict GDPR and laws associated with children’s privacy are crucial factors driving the adoption of parental control software across the region. Additionally, adequate presence of reputed software providers and the proliferation of new entrants are likely to push the market’s growth steadily in the future.

The Middle East & Africa is showcasing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of digitalization. Growing investments in the education sector are likely to fuel the demand for parental control software in the coming years. Similarly, growing smartphone demand in South America is expected to fuel the market growth in the region.

Key Industry Players

Focus on Global Expansion through Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations to Boost Market Share

The major players in the market are expanding their business by collaborating and partnering with network providers, smartphone & gadget manufacturers, telecom service providers, and Wi-Fi router enablers, among others. The companies aim to offer advanced parental control solutions to create a safer and healthier online learning environment for kids. Besides, they are highly focused on developing new features and products to strengthen their market position. These companies heavily invest in research & development activities to launch new products and boost their business growth.

List of Top Parental Control Software Companies:

• Alphabet Inc. (Google LLC) (U.S.)


• AO Kaspersky Lab (Russia)


• AT&T Inc. (U.S.)


• Mobicip LLC (U.S.)


• McAfee, LLC (U.S.)


• Microsoft Corporation (U.S.)


• Avast Software s.r.o. (Czech Republic)


• NortonLifeLock Inc. (U.S.)


• Qustodio SL (Family Zone Cyber Safety) (Spain)


• Bark Technologies, Inc. (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• In January 2024, Snapchat announced the launch of new parental control that allows parents to control their kids' usage of the MyAI chatbot. With the new feature, parents can control and monitor their children’s privacy settings and quickly access the family center, specially developed for parental control.


• In August 2023, Xsolla removed obstructions for direct-to-consumer delivery with an incorporated parental control capability for game developers. With the introduction of the parental control feature range, Xsolla's product line permits developers to assimilate an extra level of authentication for parents.


• In May 2023, Kaspersky launched an updated version of its Safe Kids mobile platform application. The new upgrade comprises a new interface and design for applications, along with advanced features, such as banner hints focused on offering parents tips and settings for better control and digital safety of their children. The new version is available on both iOS and Android.


• In April 2023, Internet Matters and Amazon Kids announced a collaboration to offer resources for carers and parents to help their children navigate through the digital experience. The resources are provided through the Family Digital Well-Being Hub of Amazon, proposing a better understanding of family-friendly devices and ensuring safety from connected technology.


• In February 2023, Bark Technologies collaborated with Vilo Living. Vilo Living is a startup that delivers affordable, reliable, and easy Wi-Fi connectivity. The alliance allows Vilo consumers to benefit from Bark's parental control solutions by assimilating in-home parental controls within mesh Wi-Fi systems of Vilo without any extra cost to all end users in the U.S.


• In January 2023, Linewise (a division of Family Zone) introduced Qustodio, its new parental control application, accessible to all classwise customers and school managers. Being part of the Linewise Community, Qustodio expands visibility, controls, and reporting to guardians and parents on the usage of school-allotted devices at home and school.

REPORT COVERAGE

The report conducts an in-depth study of the market and highlights key regions across the world to offer a better understanding of the market. Furthermore, the report provides insights into the latest industry trends and studies various technologies deployed at a rapid pace at the global level. It further highlights the growth factors and restraints, helping the reader gain in-depth knowledge about the market.

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