Meta is rolling out “Teen Accounts” on Facebook and Messenger, a feature to keep young users safe online. Initially available in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada, the feature will expand to other regions.
Teen Accounts, first introduced on Instagram last September, responds to growing concerns from U.S. lawmakers about teen safety on social media.
With the new update, teens will automatically be placed into an environment that limits access to inappropriate content and reduces unwanted contact. Teens under 16 need their parents’ permission to change their privacy settings. While Meta hasn’t disclosed all the specific details, the company has confirmed that teens will only be able to receive messages from people they already follow or have interacted with. Additionally, only friends can view or comment on their stories, and tags or mentions will be restricted to people they follow or are friends with.
To further protect young users, teens will get reminders to take a break after using the app for an hour, and the “Quiet mode” will automatically turn on at night. On Instagram, teens under 16 won’t be able to go live without parental approval, and they will also need permission to disable the feature that blurs images suspected of containing nudity in direct messages.
These changes are part of Meta’s effort to address concerns about teen mental health linked to social media use. Some U.S. states have already required parental consent for teen social media usage.
Meta shared that since launching Teen Accounts on Instagram, they’ve moved 54 million teens to this safer platform, and 97% of teens aged 13-15 are keeping the built-in protections active. A study by Ipsos also showed that 94% of parents find Teen Accounts helpful, with 85% saying it makes it easier to guide their teens toward positive social media experiences.
