Meta is taking a significant step towards enhancing online safety for teenagers by expanding its Teen Accounts feature to Facebook and Messenger, in addition to Instagram. The new protections aim to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate contact and content, and will be rolled out in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada starting today, with other regions to follow soon.

The Teen Accounts feature, which was initially introduced on Instagram in September, automatically makes younger users' accounts private and restricts them from accessing certain features. On Facebook and Messenger, the feature will apply similar protections, although the company has not specified which exact features will be restricted. According to Meta, the changes will be automatically applied to all minors using Facebook and Messenger, provided they have been honest about their age during sign-up.

Older teens (16 and above) will have the option to disable these protections, but those under 16 will need to request parental permission via supervisory tools to make any changes. The new restrictions include limits on messaging and interactions with strangers, as well as tighter controls for seeing sensitive content. Additionally, teens will be encouraged to spend more time offline with 60-minute time limit reminders and a sleep mode that mutes notifications between 10PM and 7AM.

Meta is also adding additional protections to Teen Accounts on Instagram in the next couple of months. These will prevent minors from starting a live broadcast or disabling a feature that blurs images in DM when nudity is detected. Under 16s will require parental permission to change or remove these new Instagram restrictions, which are designed to limit contact between children and strangers on the platform.

The move comes as Facebook faces criticism and legal challenges over its handling of child safety on its platforms. The company is currently under EU investigation over concerns around safeguarding minors, and a separate US lawsuit filed in 2023 accused Meta of creating a "marketplace for predators in search of children."

By expanding its Teen Accounts feature to more platforms, Meta is taking a proactive step towards addressing these concerns and providing a safer online environment for minors. The move is also seen as an effort to attract younger users to its platforms, as Facebook has struggled to compete with rival social media platforms like TikTok in recent years.

Industry experts welcome the move, citing the importance of protecting minors online. "Social media companies have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of their users, particularly minors," said Dr. Rachel O'Connell, a leading expert on online child safety. "Meta's expansion of its Teen Accounts feature is a positive step towards achieving this goal."

As the online landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how effective these new protections will be in preventing online harm to minors. However, Meta's commitment to enhancing online safety is a crucial step towards creating a safer and more responsible online environment for all users.