Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has just introduced stringent measures to safeguard teens’ online experiences, with primary focus on age-appropriate content.
Meta says it has developed over 30 tools to aid teens and parents, continuing its decade-long dedication to refining policies and technology against rule-breaking content or sensitive material.
Today, Meta has announces additional protections specifically targeting the type of content visible to teens on Instagram and Facebook.
Acknowledging input from experts in adolescent development and mental health, Meta aims to ensure a safer online environment for young users. Content involving sensitive topics like self-harm will now be removed from teens’ feeds, aligning with efforts not to recommend such content in areas like Reels and Explore.
Dr. Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor at Northeastern University, praises Meta’s evolving policies, emphasizing the importance of spaces where teens can connect safely and creatively.
Meta will also share resources from expert organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness for users posting content related to self-harm or eating disorders. These protective changes will be gradually implemented for users under 18 in the coming months.
In addition to expert feedback, Meta implements parental supervision tools, earning commendation from Vicki Shotbolt, CEO of ParentZone.org, who stresses the need for age-appropriate online content for teens.
Meta’s updates include automatically placing teens under the most restrictive content control setting. Content recommendation controls on Instagram and Facebook will make encountering sensitive content in Search and Explore more challenging.
To further prioritize safety, Meta will hide search results related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders while directing users to expert resources for help. This protective measure will be rolled out universally over the next few weeks.
Teens will also receive notifications encouraging them to review their privacy settings on Instagram, enabling more private options with a single tap.
