LONDON (AP) — Instagram customers beneath 16 received’t have the ability to livestream or unblur nudity in direct messages they’ve obtained with out parental approval, proprietor Meta Platforms mentioned Tuesday because it widened its security measures for youngsters.
The social media firm additionally mentioned it was extending safeguards for customers beneath 18 to Fb and Messenger.
Meta launched its teen account program for Instagram in September to offer mother and father extra choices to oversee their youngsters’s on-line exercise amid a rising backlash in opposition to how social media impacts the lives of younger folks.
The most recent modifications will roll out first to customers in the US, Britain, Canada and Australia, earlier than going out to international customers within the following months.
Below the modifications, teenagers beneath 16 are blocked from utilizing Instagram Stay except mother and father give permission. Additionally they want permission to “turn off our feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity” in direct messages, Meta mentioned in a weblog put up.
In one other main replace, Meta mentioned it’s extending the teenager account safeguards to its Fb and Messenger platforms,
These will embrace protections already in place for teen Instagram customers, together with setting teen accounts to personal by default, blocking non-public messages from strangers, strict limits on delicate content material like combat movies, reminders to get off the app after 60 minutes and notifications which might be halted throughout bedtime hours.
“Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger will offer similar, automatic protections to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contact, as well as ways to ensure teens’ time is well spent,” Meta mentioned.
The corporate mentioned at the least 54 million teen accounts have been arrange for the reason that program launched in September.
Initially Revealed: April 8, 2025 at 7:21 AM EDT
