(New York) Meta announced on Tuesday the implementation of new restrictions on access to certain content for adolescents on Facebook and Instagram, in order to promote “safe and appropriate” use for their age.
The Menlo Park (California) group will now place, by default, all teenage accounts in the stricter configuration of the two social networks, which “makes it more difficult to come into contact with potentially sensitive content”.
This measure applies to accounts identified as belonging to a teenager whose age is between 13 (minimum required to register) and 15 (18 in some countries).
This configuration also limits access, for other users, to the list of “friends”, to followed accounts as well as the possibility of commenting on posted messages.
Instead, the user will be shown a prevention message suggesting that they contact a professional, a friend or consult a list of tips that could help them, according to a message posted Tuesday on the Meta website.
This will not, however, prevent a teenager from discussing their possible problems or difficulties on Instagram or Facebook with one of their contacts.
Meta has regularly been criticized in recent years for its management of young users on Facebook and Instagram.
After announcing the launch of an Instagram dedicated to young people under 13, Meta finally decided to give it up in fall 2021.
At the end of October, 41 US states filed a civil suit against Meta, accusing Facebook and Instagram of harming the “mental and physical health of young people”.
Meta then recalled that it had already implemented a series of tools likely to improve the protection of young users on its platforms.
