Meta to default teen Facebook, Instagram users to most restrictive settings

Facebook, Instagram teen settings overview: 

• Who: Meta Platforms said it is setting the default settings for its teenage Facebook and Instagram users to the most restrictive content settings. 
• Why: The social networking company said the change is being made in an effort to keep its teenage users safe. 
• Where: Meta’s update will affect teenage Instagram and Facebook users nationwide. 

Meta Platforms said earlier this week that it will set the default settings for its teen Facebook and Instagram users to the most restrictive content settings, with an update set to be completed in the coming weeks. 

The announcement comes in the wake of an October lawsuit filed against the social networking company by a bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general arguing the social media platforms were harming teenage users, CNBC reports. 

Meta, which made the announcement in a blog post, said it will start hiding more content from its teenage users based on guidance from experts and will be prompting teens to update their Instagram privacy settings in a single tap and with new notifications. 

“We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences on our apps,” Meta said, adding that it has spent “over a decade developing policies and technology to address content that breaks our rules or could be seen as sensitive.”

Meta to restrict teen users from viewing content involving self-harm, eating disorder discussions

Types of content that Meta will restrict its teenage Instagram and Facebook users from viewing involves discussions of self-harm and eating disorders or includes “restricted goods or nudity.” 

Meta said new teen users of Instagram and Facebook are automatically placed into these most-restrictive settings, but that it is now expanding the setting to teens who are already using the social media platforms. 

“We’re automatically placing teens into the most restrictive content control setting on Instagram and Facebook,” the company said. 

In a broader sense, Meta said it is continuing to work to remove content that goes against its community guidelines, such as hate speech or child exploitation, and limiting recommendations for content that may be sexually suggestive or contain misinformation. 

A survey released by the Pew Research Center last month revealed that Instagram, along with YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat were the most-used online platforms by teens during 2023. 

The survey determined teens are less likely to be using Facebook or X — the platform formerly known as Twitter — than they were a decade ago. 

Are you concerned about your teens’ social media usage? Let us know in the comments.

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