Meta has recently announced that it will introduce teen accounts to Facebook to protect users under 18. Previously, the company implemented the restrictions to Instagram in September, which are for users aged between 13 and 15.
Teenage users within this age range are immediately placed in the teen accounts and require parental permission to change their account settings. Users with teen accounts can only receive messages from users they follow or are already connected to. Other features include limits on overnight notifications and reminders to exit the app after one hour.
In addition to introducing teen accounts to Facebook, Meta is also increasing the restrictions for teen accounts on Instagram. Users with teen accounts will now require permission from their guardians to use the Live feature. Parental permission will also be needed to turn off a feature blurring images suspected of containing nudity in messages.
According to Meta, it is expanding the restrictions to prevent teens from going live or turning off protections for unwanted images in direct messages on their own. The teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger will reportedly offer similar automatic protections to restrict inappropriate content and unwanted contact while also ensuring the time of the teenage users is well spent.
The teen accounts will be rolled out to the US, Britain, Australia, and Canada first, and will be made available in other countries later. Meanwhile, TikTok has also recently introduced a feature that allows parents of teen users to limit their children’s use of the app.
(Source: The Star, The Guardian, Meta)
