After introducing movie-style PG-13 ratings on Instagram, Meta is adding more safety controls for teens. The company has announced that it is adding new parental controls and enhanced safety features for teens across all of its social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, starting with Instagram first.
The new controls will allow parents to turn off their teen"s access to one-on-one chats with AI characters completely, while Meta"s core AI assistant would still remain available with its default age protections.
Meta said in its press release:
Technology will never replace the value of critical thinking, real-life connections, and human interaction – and that’s not our aim. We believe AI can complement traditional learning methods and exploration in a way that feels supportive, all with the proper age-appropriate guardrails in place.
Parents could also block individual AI characters. Meta will also provide insights into the general topics to the parents that their teens are discussing with AI characters and assistants.
The move comes as there have been increasing concerns from regulators that AI chatbots are failing to catch warning signs of self-harm and are allowing inappropriate conversations with minors.
OpenAI, in contrast, has publicly adopted a rather permissive stance regarding content moderation for adult users. The company recently announced that adult conversations on ChatGPT would no longer be restricted, including erotica, with Sam Altman emphasizing the "let adults be adults" principle.
The move by Meta also comes as AI companies are facing lawsuits linked to youth mental health crises, and also amid calls in the U.S. and Europe to enforce digital safety laws. This pressure has led AI companies, including Meta, to expedite their safety efforts.
Meta says that as AI continues evolving, it will also improve its safeguards as necessary. The company added that it will monitor feedback from parents and experts, adjust controls, and extend features to more languages and geographies over time.
Currently, users will see these changes in Instagram starting next year in English, in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.