- Meta introduces 13+ content settings globally for teen accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Messenger
- New default settings limit teens' exposure to inappropriate content and restrict interactions
- AI-powered age checks use photo analysis and context but do not involve facial recognition
In the wake of global crackdown on teen access to social media, Meta has announced a series of updates aimed at strengthening protections for teens across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, with 13-plus content settings now rolled out globally to Teen Accounts on all three platforms, the company said in a blog post.
Facebook's new 13+ default setting aims to hide content inappropriate for teens in Feed and Reels, and to limit teens' ability to interact with profiles, pages, groups and events that primarily post such content, aiming to keep what teens see in line with an age-appropriate movie rating.
On Messenger, the same default setting restricts teens' ability to view links to inappropriate Facebook content or chat with accounts that primarily share such content.
Meta is also expanding AI-powered age assurance measures, using visual analysis of photos and videos alongside text-based contextual clues, such as birthday posts or mentions of school grades, to detect underage accounts.
The company clarified that the visual analysis tool is not facial recognition; instead, it looks at general physical traits like height or bone structure to estimate age range without identifying specific individuals. This detection technology will be expanded to Instagram Reels, Instagram Live and Facebook Groups.
In a significant child-safety addition, Instagram will now notify parents using supervision if their teen repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short span of time.
This feature has been rolled out to supervising parents in the European Union, Brazil and India, with notifications about the upcoming alerts going out to parents and teens starting Tuesday.
Meta has also consolidated teen oversight tools under Family Center, allowing parents to manage their teen's activity across Instagram, Meta Horizon, Facebook and Messenger from a single dashboard, rather than navigating each app separately.
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