Meta deploys teen safety features to Facebook, Messenger

Meta is expanding its Teen Accounts initiative to Facebook and Messenger, rolling out enhanced protections for young users in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

The company plans to expand the feature to additional regions in the coming months.

The Teen Accounts experience, which debuted on Instagram last September, automatically places teens into a more restricted app environment aimed at limiting exposure to inappropriate content and unwanted contact.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to teen safety, we’re bringing our built-in protections to more of our platforms,” Meta said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Under the new system, teens under 16 will be restricted from receiving messages from anyone they do not follow or have not previously interacted with. Only friends will be able to view and reply to their stories, while tags, mentions, and comments will also be limited to known contacts.

Teens will receive prompts to take breaks from the platform after one hour of use per day and will be placed in “Quiet mode” overnight. Meta did not disclose the specific overnight hours.

Parents will have a more active role in managing teen activity. Teen users under 16 will need parental permission to adjust the default safety settings.

On Instagram, teens in this age group will also be barred from going live unless a parent permits it. They will likewise need approval to disable a feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity in direct messages.

The update comes amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and health officials in the United States and other countries, who have voiced concern over the impact of social media on adolescent mental health.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Meta said, “These features are part of our broader effort to give teens safer, age-appropriate experiences across our apps.”

Meta said more than 54 million teens have been moved into Teen Accounts on Instagram since the rollout last year. According to the company, 97% of users aged 13 to 15 have kept the built-in protections active.

Meta also cited research by Ipsos, commissioned by the company, indicating broad parental support for the initiative. Of those surveyed, 94% of parents said the Teen Accounts were helpful, and 85% believed the features made it easier to ensure their teens had positive experiences on Instagram.

The expansion to Facebook and Messenger reflects Meta’s efforts to respond to criticism and regulatory scrutiny, while bolstering its platforms with enhanced protections for younger audiences.