Tue, 08 Apr 2025

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 Instagram-owner expands restrictions for teens

The system imposes more restricted settings on younger users - though campaigners say it's unclear what difference they make.
Meta is expanding its Teen Accounts feature, which provides an age-appropriate experience for users under 18, to Facebook and Messenger. The system restricts younger teens by default, requiring parental permission to live stream or turn off image protections for messages. This feature was first introduced on Instagram last September. However, campaigners question the effectiveness of Teen Accounts, citing a lack of clear data on its impact and concerns about the prevention of algorithmically recommended inappropriate content. Andy Burrows from the Molly Rose Foundation called it "appalling" that parents still don't know if these settings are working as intended. The expansion of Teen Accounts is set to begin in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada this week. Companies like Meta face pressure to introduce parental controls and safety mechanisms to safeguard children's experiences online. Teen Accounts work by relying on users' self-declared age. Those aged 16-18 can toggle off default safety settings, while 13-15 year olds must obtain parental permission to do so. Since its introduction in September, at least 54 million teens globally have been moved into Teen Accounts, with 97% of 13-15 year olds keeping built-in restrictions. However, some experts have raised concerns about the system's reliance on users being truthful about their age and the potential for teenagers to lie about their age. In response, Meta plans to use artificial intelligence to identify teens who may be lying about their age in 2024. Concerns over online safety continue to grow, with calls for tougher action from companies like Meta to prevent children and teenagers from receiving unwanted nude or sexual images, or feeling pressured to share them in potential sextortion scams.
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