Meta Tightens Online Safety for Teens on Instagram and Facebook

Meta is taking new steps to protect teens on their platforms, including stricter messaging settings and increased parental controls.

Stricter Messaging

Now, teens under 16 (or 18 in some countries) can only receive messages from people they already follow or are connected to on Instagram and Messenger.

Adults over 19 are restricted from messaging teens who don’t follow them on Instagram.

Also, teens in supervised accounts need parental approval to change these settings.

Enhanced Parental Controls

Parents receive notifications and need to approve changes to their teen’s privacy and safety settings (e.g., switching to a public account).

Larry Magid, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ConnectSafely, said, “Empowering parents to approve or deny requests to change their teen’s default safety and privacy settings gives parents the tools they need to help protect their teens, while at the same time respecting their teens’ privacy and ability to communicate with their friends and family.”

New feature coming soon to help protect teens from inappropriate images in messages.

Meta aims to create safer online experiences for teens and empower parents to be more involved. These changes come alongside over 30 existing tools and features supporting teens and families.

“Continuing our efforts for teen safety, Meta is introducing stricter messaging settings on Instagram and Facebook. Teens will no longer receive messages from strangers by default, and parental approval will be required before changing key settings, empowering parents and protecting teens from unwanted contact. This builds on our existing 30+ teen safety tools and emphasizes our commitment to age-appropriate online experiences,” Meta noted.