Meta Adds Child Safety Features to Instagram Worldwide

Meta is enhancing safety features on Instagram to better protect children and teens, particularly focusing on accounts managed by adults on behalf of children under 13. These accounts will now automatically have the strictest message settings, with the Hidden Words tool enabled by default to filter out inappropriate comments, and the platform will limit recommendations and search visibility of these accounts to reduce exposure to potential predators. Teen users will receive new safety tips in direct messages, see the account creation date of new contacts, and benefit from simplified block-and-report options to more easily avoid harmful interactions. These measures respond to concerns about exploitation and abuse, including a 2023 lawsuit alleging Instagram facilitated access to child abuse material through its recommendation algorithms. Meta reports high engagement with these safety tools, such as millions of blocks and reports by teens, and continues to blur explicit images in DMs to reduce unwanted exposure. Overall, the updates aim to create a safer environment for younger users and address growing scrutiny over social media's impact on child and teen mental health.