U.S. technology company Meta has announced the introduction of stricter measures aimed at protecting teenagers on its Instagram and Facebook Messenger platforms, seeking to reduce young users’ exposure to inappropriate content.
The company said that default settings for all users under the age of 18 will automatically limit content considered unsuitable for their age group. The measures, which were first introduced last year in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, will now be rolled out globally.
The new “13+” settings will filter the content that appears in posts, short videos and recommendations shown to teenage users across Meta’s platforms.
On Facebook, additional restrictions will be introduced on interactions with profiles, groups and pages that publish content deemed inappropriate for younger users. At the same time, Messenger will reduce access to such material through shared links and conversations.
Meta also announced that later this year it will introduce a new feature called “Restricted Content,” allowing parents to apply even stricter limitations to their children’s accounts.
In addition, the company is testing a new Instagram feature designed to provide teenagers with greater variety in the content they see in recommendations, posts and videos. The goal is to prevent algorithms from continuously showing large amounts of content focused on the same topic.
According to Meta, topics such as nutrition, exercise or advice on coping with anxiety can be beneficial, but they should not dominate young users’ online experience.
The company also said it has improved its systems for identifying accounts that regularly publish content inappropriate for teenagers. Furthermore, it has expanded restrictions on videos promoting dangerous online challenges, including the trend known as “car surfing.”
Through these new measures, Meta aims to create a safer digital environment for younger users while giving parents greater control over their children’s online experience.
