Meta announced that the Teen Accounts are now rolling out globally to both Facebook and Messenger. Previously, Teen Accounts were limited to those under 16 in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. The social media giant also enforced a similar addition to Instagram in September of last year.
With reaching Malaysia sooner rather than later, here’s a brief refresher of what it entails. Teens 16 and below will now automatically be placed in Teen Accounts and would require parents’ permission to change any settings. The implementation will also limit inappropriate content and unsolicited and unwanted contact.
Furthermore, teens will only receive messages from people they follow or have messaged before. Additionally, only the teen’s friends can see and reply to their stories, alongside tags and mentions. Teens will also receive a reminder to leave the platform after an hour as well as be automatically placed in “Quiet mode” during the night.
To coincide with Teen Accounts, Meta also announced that it will be launching its School Partnership Program on Instagram. The feature allows educators and lecturers to report any safety concerns directly to Meta for immediate review and removal.
Schools that have partnered up with Meta will receive special priority from the social media giant to help take down problematic content within 48 hours. Schools who are part of the programme will receive a banner on their Instagram programme to notify parents and students that they are an official Instagram partner.
Meta did not specify when exactly its platforms will receive these additions, but it is safe to say it will happen soon. It goes without saying that they are now the newest social media platforms to enforce a child protective scheme similar to that of TikTok. Perhaps this will finally get lawmakers and government officials off the company’s back, both internationally and locally.
(Sources: Meta, TechCrunch)
