Expansion of Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger
Meta, the social media powerhouse, is broadening its “Teen Accounts” initiative to include Facebook and Messenger, a move that underscores its commitment to safeguarding younger users online. Initially introduced on Instagram in September of the previous year, this feature aims to automatically implement privacy settings, content restrictions, and parental controls for users under the age of 18. The initial roll-out will focus on users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, with plans for global availability anticipated in the near future.
The inception of Teen Accounts was a direct response to mounting criticism regarding the impact of social media on the mental health of young individuals, as well as concerns about exposure to inappropriate content and unwanted interactions. This feature automatically enrolls users aged 13 to 15 into a curated app experience that reduces their exposure to potentially harmful content while enhancing parental oversight. Once established, Teen Accounts limit interactions to friends or previously contacted users, effectively barring strangers from sending direct messages or commenting on their posts unless a prior connection exists.
Meta reports promising early adoption metrics for Teen Accounts on Instagram, noting that 54 million teens worldwide have transitioned to this restricted experience. Even more encouraging is the statistic that 97% of teens aged 13-15 have opted to retain their built-in protections. A study commissioned by Ipsos revealed that 94% of surveyed parents found Teen Accounts beneficial in their online parenting efforts, while 85% felt these tools facilitated a more positive online experience for their children.
In an official statement, Meta expressed, “Last year, we reimagined the Instagram experience for teens – and their parents – by introducing Instagram Teen Accounts. Teen Accounts have built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see. We automatically place teens into Teen Accounts, and teens under 16 need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings to be less strict. Since making these changes, 97% of teens aged 13-15 have stayed in these built-in restrictions, which we believe offer the most age-appropriate experience for younger teens.”
The company further emphasized, “These are major updates that have fundamentally changed the experience for teens on Instagram. We’re encouraged by the progress, but our work to support parents and teens doesn’t stop here, so we’re announcing additional protections and expanding Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger to give parents more peace of mind across Meta apps.”
In conjunction with the expansion to Facebook and Messenger, Meta is also enhancing protections on Instagram. Teens under 16 will now require parental approval to initiate a live broadcast on the platform and to disable the “nudity protection” feature, which automatically blurs images suspected of containing nudity in direct messages. This measure acts as a reasonable safeguard to further protect underage users on the widely used image-sharing platform. Additionally, in response to rising concerns regarding social media addiction and its effects on mental health, Meta has introduced features that encourage teens to take breaks from their devices. These include daily usage reminders after an hour of app engagement and the automatic activation of “Quiet Mode” during nighttime hours, which mutes notifications and discourages late-night scrolling.
