- Teen Instagram users will not be allowed to livestream without parental permission. This comes as teen accounts are being expanded to Facebook and Messenger. These will, theoretically, give parents more control over their children’s social-media accounts.
Meta’s continuing battle to shed criticisms about how it handles young users has resulted in new rule for teens on Instagram.
People under the age of 16 will be blocked from livestreaming on the social network unless they first get parental approval. Parents will also be the only ones who can turn off a feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity in direct messages sent to young users.
The updates will be made in the next couple of months, Meta said.
In addition, the company said it is expanding teen accounts to Facebook and Messenger.
Meta says some 54 million people under the age of 18 use its Instagram teen accounts. The vast majority (over 90%) of 13- to 15-year-olds make no changes to the default restrictions, it said.
Teen accounts first rolled out last year, requiring anyone over 16 years old on Instagram to join. Current Instagram users who fell in the age range were automatically placed into the teen accounts as well.
Teen account holders are automatically opted into the highest privacy settings, which prohibit them from messaging strangers and make their accounts private. Those settings cannot be changed without the approval of a parent.
Meta has been on the defensive about how it handles young users since a whistleblower leaked internal documents suggesting Facebook knowingly prioritized profit over well-being and safety. The controversy led to a congressional testimony and spurred debate about what could be done to protect minors online. In October 2023, more than 30 U.S. States filed a lawsuit against Meta alleging harmful youth marketing.
“We’re excited about the progress we’ve made, and will continue to work to make our apps a safe place for teens,” Meta said in a blog post this week.