Instagram users under 16 won’t be able to livestream or unblur nudity in direct messages they’ve received without parental approval, owner Meta Platforms said Tuesday as it widened its safety measures for teenagers.
The social media company also said it was extending safeguards for users under 18 to Facebook and Messenger.
The changes will roll out first to users in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, before going out to global users in the following months.
Under the changes, teens under 16 are blocked from using Instagram Live unless parents give permission. They also need permission to “turn off our feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity” in direct messages, Meta said in a blog post. The blurring feature was introduced in April 2024 in an attempt to combat the sexual extortion of teens.
Meta launched a teen account program for Instagram in September to give parents more options to supervise their children’s online activity. In another major update, Meta said it is extending the account safeguards to its Facebook and Messenger platforms. These will include protections already in place for teen Instagram users, including setting teen accounts to private by default, blocking private messages from strangers, strict limits on sensitive content like fight videos, reminders to get off the app after 60 minutes and notifications that are halted during 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 said.
The company said at least 54 million teen accounts have been set up since the program launched in September.
Meta and other social media companies have faced a growing backlash about how social media affects the lives of young people. In late 2023, 33 states sued the tech giant, alleging it deliberately engineered its platforms to be addictive to children and teens. The lawsuits claim that profits motivated the company to do so. The lawsuits also alleged that Meta routinely collects data on underage users without their parents’ consent, a violation of federal law.
In an emailed statement at the time, Meta said it is determined to provide teens with “safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”
