Meta is making teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger more secure. Last year, the company introduced similar features on Instagram. The company is now planning to make them available on Facebook and Messenger. These accounts will have greater security features, including determining who teens can message and what kind of content they can see.
When children under the age of 16 create accounts on Facebook and Messenger, they will be included in 'teen accounts'. If they want to change any settings, they will have to get their parents' permission. Teen accounts, which launched on Instagram last year, are designed to provide a safe experience for teens aged 13-15 and address concerns of parents. Meta says that since the feature was introduced on Instagram, 97% of users between the ages of 13 and 15 have not changed these safety settings.
The company said in a blog post that children are embracing the feature and that it is effective. Meta said that these updates have improved the experience for teens on Instagram. Now Meta is bringing the same protections to Facebook and Messenger. Creating teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger will help parents monitor their children's online activities. These accounts will have similar safety features to Instagram to protect children from inappropriate content, prevent them from connecting with strangers, and help them develop healthy online habits.
The feature will limit who can tag and comment on teen posts. To do this, teen accounts will have privacy controls set up. Direct messaging features will also be limited. This means that teens can only talk to people they already know using their Facebook and Messenger accounts. Sensitive content filters will be set up by default on teen accounts.
Meta says these measures are based on feedback from parents. In a recent survey conducted by the company, 94 percent of parents in the US believe that teen accounts are helpful. 85 percent say that these protections ensure a better online experience for their children. Starting this month, teen accounts will be available in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Teen accounts are expected to expand globally soon.