Meta rolls out stronger teen safeguards worldwide

The company said the new default "13+" content setting, first launched for Instagram Teen Accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada last year, will now be available worldwide across its major platforms.

The setting is designed to limit teens' exposure to inappropriate content while restricting interactions with accounts, pages, groups and events that primarily share material deemed unsuitable for younger audiences.

On Facebook, the safeguards apply to areas such as Feed and Reels, while Messenger will limit teens' access to links leading to inappropriate Facebook content and reduce their ability to communicate with accounts that regularly post such material. Meta also plans to introduce a stricter "Limited Content" option on Facebook and Messenger later this year.

According to the company, most teenagers have remained in the default setting since its launch. Meta said it has also collected feedback from hundreds of thousands of parents worldwide, who have reviewed more than 15 million pieces of content. In its latest survey, conducted in April among parents in the U.S., UK, Australia and Canada, fewer than 2% of Facebook posts recommended to teens were considered inappropriate by a majority of respondents.

Meta is also testing a new Instagram feature designed to prevent teenagers from repeatedly encountering similar types of content. The company noted that topics such as nutrition, weightlifting or coping with anxiety can be useful but should be balanced with a broader range of content. The feature is being tested across Explore, Feed and Reels to reduce excessive repetition of such posts.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Malaysia began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from having social media accounts.