Meta introduces teenage accounts to Facebook and Messenger. This feature automatically registers younger users to app experiences with built-in protections, is available on these platforms in the US, UK, Australia and Canada before expanding to additional regions in the future.
The teen account was first rolled out to Instagram last September after Instagram and other popular social networks were burned by US lawmakers for not doing enough to protect their teens. As part of Tuesday’s announcement, Meta said on Instagram that it will bring new built-in protections to teenage accounts.
The expansion to Facebook and Messenger will automatically make teens an experience designed to limit inappropriate content and unnecessary contacts. Teens under the age of 16 require permission from their parents to change any of the settings.
Meta’s blog post on the launch doesn’t share the exact restrictions that teens are placed under, but the company emailed TechCrunch that teens will only receive messages from those who have previously followed or received messages.
Plus, only teenage friends can see their stories and respond to them. Tags, mentions and comments are also limited to those who they follow and are friends.
Teens also receive reminders to leave the social network after using for an hour a day. Additionally, they are registered in “quiet mode” overnight.
Regarding the new Instagram restrictions, teens under the age of 16 will not be allowed to perform live on the platform unless their parents give them permission to do so. Additionally, teens under the age of 16 must obtain parental permission to turn off the feature of the app that obscures images containing suspicious nudes in DMS.
The changes announced Tuesday show the latest steps in the meta to address teenage mental health concerns related to social media. These concerns have been raised by the US Surgeon General and several states, some of which have begun to restrict teenagers from using social media without parental consent.
Meta shares insights into how teenage accounts do on Instagram. The company says it has moved 54 million teenagers to teenage accounts. Meta says there is still more to come as the functionality continues to be rolled out globally. The company also shares that 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 maintain built-in protection, Meta says.
Meta also commissioned a survey conducted by IPSOS that found that nearly every parent surveyed (94%) said that teen accounts would be useful to parents, with 85% thinking it makes it easier for teens to help them have positive experiences on Instagram.
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