Meta on Tuesday restricted teenagers under 16 years from using the ‘Instagram Live’ feature without parental consent. This decision reflects a broader effort by the social media giant to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s lives.
New safety measures for teen users
According to the new policy, teens under 16 will be prohibited from livestreaming on Instagram without parental approval. Additionally, they will need permission to turn off features that blur images suspected of containing nudity in direct messages.
Meta’s Teen Account program, launched in September 2024, has given parents greater control over their children’s online activities. The program has seen significant uptake, with over 54 million teen accounts created since its launch.
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Meta is extending its Teen Account safeguards to Facebook and Messenger, which will now have protections similar to those already implemented on Instagram. These measures include automatically setting teen accounts to private, blocking private messages from strangers, restricting access to sensitive content, and providing reminders for users to take breaks from the app.
“Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger will offer similar, automatic protections to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contact, as well as ways to ensure teens’ time is well spent,” Meta stated.
Rollout and impact
The implementation of these new measures will start in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia before gradually expanding to other countries in the coming months. While some see these changes as positive steps toward creating a safer online environment, others are skeptical about their effectiveness.
Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, noted, “Eight months after the introduction of Teen Accounts on Instagram, we have yet to hear from Mark Zuckerberg about their effectiveness or the specific sensitive content they address.”
Conversely, Drew Benvie, CEO of social media consultancy Battenhall, sees this as a positive development, stating, “For once, major social media platforms are competing not just for the most engaged teenage audience but for the safest environment.”