Social media safety for teenagers has become an increasingly important topic as young users navigate online spaces. Meta is taking steps to address these concerns by expanding its protective measures across its platforms, aiming to create safer digital environments for younger users while maintaining their ability to connect with friends.
Meta Brings Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger
Meta is expanding its Teen Accounts feature to Facebook and Messenger in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. This expansion follows the successful implementation of Teen Accounts on Instagram, which was announced in September last year and launched globally in January. The feature is designed specifically for users under the age of 16, implementing stricter privacy settings and content limitations to create a safer social media environment for teenagers.
Availability of Teen Accounts
- Instagram: Already available globally (launched January 2024)
- Facebook and Messenger: Coming soon to US, UK, Australia, and Canada
- Minimum age requirement: 13 years old for all Meta platforms
Built-in Protections and Safety Measures
The Teen Accounts come with several built-in protections that significantly restrict how teens interact on these platforms. For messaging, teens will only be able to receive messages from accounts they follow or have previously messaged, limiting potential contact from strangers. Additionally, only a teen's friends can see and reply to their stories, while comments, tags, and mentions are limited to followers and friends. These measures aim to reduce unwanted interactions and potential harassment from unknown users.
Age-Based Restrictions and Parental Controls
Meta has implemented a tiered approach to restrictions based on age groups. Accounts for users between 13 and 15 years old have the strictest settings, requiring parental consent to modify any youth account settings. Users who are 16 or older have more freedom to adjust their settings independently. All teen accounts under 16 are set to private by default, with stricter messaging settings, content restrictions, limited interactions with strangers, and tools to manage screen time.
Teen Account Features Across Meta Platforms
- Messaging restrictions: Teens can only receive messages from accounts they follow or have messaged before
- Privacy settings: Accounts for users under 16 are private by default
- Content interaction limits: Comments, tags, and mentions limited to followers and friends
- Screen time management: Reminders after one hour of use and automatic "Sleep Mode" overnight
- Age-based tiers: Stricter controls for ages 13-15, more freedom at 16+
- Parental approval requirements: Needed for Instagram Live and to disable nudity blurring in DMs
New Features Coming to Instagram Teen Accounts
In addition to the Facebook and Messenger rollout, Meta is enhancing safety features for Instagram Teen Accounts. In the coming months, teens under 16 will be prohibited from going live on Instagram without parental approval. They will also be unable to disable the feature that automatically blurs images suspected of containing nudity in direct messages without parental consent. These additional protections demonstrate Meta's ongoing commitment to improving safety measures across all its platforms.
Screen Time Management Tools
To help teens maintain a healthy relationship with social media, the Teen Accounts include features designed to encourage mindful usage. Teens will receive reminders to put down social media after an hour of use, and a Sleep Mode automatically activates overnight. These tools aim to prevent excessive screen time and promote better digital habits among younger users.
Centralized Safety Settings
Meta plans to simplify the Teen Accounts feature by centralizing all youth safety settings into one location, according to Tara Hopkins, global director of public policy at Instagram. While no specific timeline has been provided for this change, it suggests Meta is working toward making safety controls more accessible and easier to navigate for both teens and parents.
Parental Supervision Tools
For parents concerned about their teens' social media usage, Meta offers supervision tools through the Meta Family Center. These tools allow parents to monitor and guide their teens' activities across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The company is clearly positioning these features as a collaborative approach to online safety, encouraging parental involvement while still allowing teens some degree of independence online.
Age Verification Measures
To ensure that Teen Accounts are actually being used by teenagers, Meta is employing artificial intelligence to analyze accounts and identify users who may be lying about their age. The company has already implemented this technology for Instagram, though it has not yet announced similar verification measures for Facebook and Messenger teen accounts.
Balancing Safety with Connection
Meta's approach represents an attempt to balance safety concerns with teenagers' desire to connect with friends online. While implementing stricter controls, the company is still allowing teens access to popular features like Reels, albeit with certain restrictions. As Meta reportedly plans to separate video reels from Instagram by launching a dedicated Reels app, it will be interesting to see how similar restrictions might apply to teen users on that platform as well.