Meta has announced the expansion of its ‘Teen Accounts’ feature to Facebook and Messenger, implementing stricter privacy settings and content controls. This initiative aims to ensure a safer online experience for teens. Key elements include new parental controls, which will soon require approval for actions such as going Live or disabling nudity blurring.
Additionally, accounts for users under 16 will be private by default, with more freedoms granted once they turn 16. Originally introduced in September 2022 for Instagram, the “Teen Accounts” feature aims to protect users under 16. It was fully rolled out in January 2023, and now has arrived on Facebook and Messenger, targeting users in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.
The transition brings the same protections available on Instagram to these additional platforms. Meta is also planning to enhance restrictions for teen accounts in the coming months. The benefits of the Teen Accounts feature extend to both teens and their parents, as highlighted in Meta’s recent blog post.
Notable updates for Instagram users include a ban on teens going Live without parental consent and restrictions on turning off image blurring in DMs when nudity is suspected. Additionally, Meta plans to unify all ‘youth safety’ settings within this feature, although a specific timeline for these changes has not yet been provided. For parents, monitoring teens across Meta’s platforms can be facilitated through the Parental Supervision tool in the Meta Family Center.
Importantly, any new Instagram account for users under 16 is flagged as a teen account, ensuring automated privacy settings and content restrictions. Restrictions vary based on age; for example, users aged 13 to 15 will require parental consent for certain account changes, while those 16 and older can adjust settings independently. Although all teens can access Instagram Reels, existing content restrictions apply, and with plans to separate Reels into a new app, it remains to be seen how this will impact the regulations for teen accounts.
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