Google's Family link can be abused to lock down compromised accounts
A new exploit of Google's Family Link feature allows hackers to permanently lock victims out of their accounts. By changing a user's birth year, hackers can designate the account as a minor's, giving them control over the account through parental supervision. Standard recovery methods fail, leaving victims with limited options to regain access to their accounts.
- ▪Hackers can manipulate Google Family Link to lock users out of their accounts by changing their birth year.
- ▪Once designated as a minor, victims cannot change their security settings without parental consent from the hacker.
- ▪Victims have found limited success in recovering their accounts through YouTube support or paid Google One support.
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Google Family Link exploit that locks out victims permanently 25 May 2026·4 mins Security Table of Contents How the Attack Works 1. Changing Your Birth Year 2. Enforcing “Parental Supervision” Why Standard Recovery is Useless Total Surveillance and Control Is There a Way Around It? 1. The YouTube Escalation Trick 2. The Google One Support Paid Route Google Needs a Fix Imagine waking up to an alert that your Google Account password has been changed. You immediately head to Google’s account recovery page to reclaim your digital life, only to be met with a bizarre roadblock. The screen doesn’t ask for your recovery phone number or your backup email. Instead, it tells you that you must get permission from your “parent” to log in. You haven’t been standard-hacked.
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