KUALA LUMPUR – Social media giant Meta has rolled out a safety feature for its underage users on Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
By default, users below the age of 16 will not be able to receive direct messages from strangers, and they can now only be messaged or added to group chats by people they already follow or are connected to.
To change the setting, users will need approval via the “parental supervision tools” in the respective apps, Meta said in a blog post.
It added that it is working on another safety feature to prevent teens from seeing unsolicited and inappropriate images in all direct messages.
“We’ll have more to share on this feature, which will also work in encrypted chats, later this year.”
Earlier, Meta tightened content restrictions for teens on Instagram and Facebook, which included suicide or self-harm, nudity and mentions of restricted goods such as tobacco, weapons, alcohol, contraception, cosmetic procedures, and weight loss programmes.
This was a response to criticism levelled by dozens of US states that Meta’s apps were damaging the mental health of children and teens and misleading parents about their safety features. – January 26, 2024