Meta Introduces Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger with Enhanced Parental Controls
In a move aimed at bolstering online safety for younger users, Meta has launched “Teen Accounts” on Facebook and Messenger. These new accounts are designed to provide increased parental controls by limiting contact with unknown individuals and filtering potentially harmful content for minors on the platforms. The technology company announced the update on Tuesday, stating that users under the age of 18 will be automatically enrolled in these accounts, seeking to reassure parents about their children’s experiences across Meta applications and mitigate exposure to inappropriate material.
Enhanced Privacy and Contact Restrictions
According to information shared with TechCrunch, Meta outlined specific limitations incorporated into Teen Accounts. Teenagers will only be able to receive messages from individuals they already follow or have previously communicated with. Furthermore, visibility and interaction with their stories will be restricted to their established network of friends. Tags, mentions, and comments will also be limited to connections within their existing circle, enhancing privacy and safety.
Screen Time Management and Nighttime Quiet Mode
Beyond contact limitations, Teen Accounts incorporate features designed to promote healthier usage habits. Teen users will receive notifications prompting them to close the applications after an hour of usage, encouraging responsible screen time management. Additionally, the apps will automatically enter a “quiet mode” during nighttime hours, further supporting digital well-being.
Parental Permissions for Setting Adjustments
For users under the age of 16, altering settings to reduce the stringency of these safeguards will require parental authorization. This measure is designed to ensure that younger teens maintain a higher level of protection unless a parent explicitly permits otherwise.
Phased Global Rollout
These protective measures will initially be implemented in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada before being extended to additional locations worldwide in a phased rollout.
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Building on Instagram’s Safety Features
These additions to Facebook and Messenger follow the implementation of similar safety features on Instagram in the past year. This broader initiative comes amidst sustained pressure from regulatory bodies and lawmakers who have been critical of social media platforms’ perceived lack of adequate protections for children, particularly concerning the escalating concerns about the link between these applications and rising mental health challenges.
Expanded Parental Oversight on Instagram
Instagram’s existing parental controls enable parents to monitor accounts their child has recently messaged, establish daily time limits for app usage, and restrict access during specified periods. These features underscore a growing trend towards providing parents with more tools to manage their children’s social media experiences.
Further Protections Against Inappropriate Content
In the latest update encompassing Facebook and Messenger, Meta has also implemented safeguards to prevent users under 16 from initiating live video streams and receiving unsolicited explicit imagery. Furthermore, images flagged as potentially containing nudity will be automatically blurred, and teens will require parental consent to unblur them.
Teen and Parent Perceptions of Existing Restrictions
Meta reports that a significant majority, 97%, of teens aged 13 to 15 have maintained the default restrictions on their accounts since their initial introduction last year. Moreover, the company states that 94% of parents have described these restrictions as “helpful,” suggesting a positive reception to the implemented safety features.
Criticism from Safety and Parenting Groups
Despite these measures, online safety advocates and parenting organizations have consistently argued that the safety enhancements remain insufficient to adequately protect young users. These groups maintain that more robust interventions are necessary to address the potential harms of social media on children’s well-being.
Calls for Stronger Measures and Warning Labels
Last summer, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy advocated for the adoption of a tobacco-style “warning label” system for social media applications. This proposal aimed to heighten awareness regarding the potential mental health risks associated with social media use, including conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Legal Challenges Regarding Addictive Features
Last fall, a coalition of state attorneys general initiated legal action against Meta, alleging that the company employs addictive design features to engage children, boost profitability, and that this practice has detrimental effects on their mental health. This lawsuit underscores the intensifying scrutiny of social media companies’ practices related to younger audiences.
Skepticism Regarding Meta’s Commitment
The Tech Oversight Project, a watchdog organization, has expressed skepticism regarding Meta‘s newly introduced features, asserting that the company has “claimed for years to already be implementing” similar safety measures. This critique suggests a perception that the current updates may represent a reiteration of previously announced intentions rather than genuinely novel protections.
Prior Announcements of Teen Privacy Measures
The Tech Transparency Project further pointed out that Meta had previously announced plans to set teen accounts to private by default and limit interactions with unfamiliar individuals as far back as 2021, according to earlier blog posts. This historical context adds weight to the argument that the current changes may not signify a fundamental shift in approach.
