Meta Platforms imposed stricter default direct message settings for teenagers on Instagram to address concerns its services have contributed to a mental health crisis for younger users.
Under the new default setting, teens under the age of 16 in the US, or below 18 in the UK and Europe, are no longer able to receive direct Instagram messages from anyone they don’t follow or aren’t connected to. This includes other teens.
A blog post announcing the move claimed it would help “teens and their parents feel even more confident that they won’t hear from people they don’t know in their DMs”.
Teens in supervised accounts will need to get parental permission to change this setting, which also applies to Messenger.
Alongside this measure, the social media giant is planning to launch a new feature designed to shield teens from seeing unwanted, and potentially inappropriate, images in their messages from people they’re already connected with. Meta plans to provide more information on that feature, which will also work in encrypted chats, later in 2024.
Meta Platforms announced new content policies for teenagers using its services earlier this month.
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