Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has introduced new safety features aimed at enhancing the protection of teenagers on its platforms. These updates include providing information about accounts that send messages to users and a streamlined option for blocking and reporting accounts with a single tap.
On Wednesday, the company revealed that it has taken action by removing thousands of accounts that were posting sexualized comments or soliciting sexual images from adult-managed accounts belonging to users under the age of 13. According to a blog post from Meta, 135,000 accounts were found to be commenting, while an additional 500,000 were associated with accounts that engaged in inappropriate interactions.
The new measures come in response to growing scrutiny of social media companies regarding the impact their platforms have on the mental health and well-being of younger users. This involves safeguarding children from predatory adults and scammers who solicit and subsequently extort them for nude images.
Meta announced that teenage users have taken significant action by blocking over a million accounts and reporting an additional million. This response followed the issuance of a “safety notice” that urged users to exercise caution in private messages and to block and report any content that causes discomfort.
In a move that has garnered attention, Meta initiated tests earlier this year to explore the application of artificial intelligence in verifying the ages of users on Instagram, a platform that officially permits access only to individuals aged 13 and older. In cases where a user is found to be misrepresenting their age, their account will be automatically converted to a teen account, which imposes stricter limitations compared to an adult account. By default, accounts belonging to teenagers are set to private. Restrictions on private messaging have been implemented, allowing teens to receive messages solely from individuals they follow or are already connected with. In 2024, the company implemented a policy to make teen accounts private by default.
Meta is currently embroiled in legal battles with multiple US states, which allege that the company has inflicted harm on young individuals and exacerbated the youth mental health crisis. The lawsuits claim that Meta has intentionally crafted features on Instagram and Facebook that foster addiction among children to its platforms.
