Meta rolls out enhanced Facebook, Instagram, Messenger Teen Accounts safety features

Meta on Thursday rolled out new safety features for users aged 13 to 17 on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Under the revamped Teen Accounts, the following settings are enabled by default:

• Accounts are set to private, meaning new followers must be approved and non-followers cannot view or interact with their content.
• Teens can only receive messages from people they follow or are already connected with.
• Only people they follow can tag or mention them, while offensive words and phrases, including those in Filipino, are automatically filtered from comments and direct message requests through the Hidden Words feature.
• Teens receive notifications encouraging them to leave the app after 60 minutes of use.
• Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., notifications are muted and automatic replies are sent to direct messages.

Malina Enlund, Meta's head of safety policy in the Asia Pacific, said the features were inspired by movie ratings for audiences aged 13 and above, as well as feedback from parents.

This means teens in the Philippines will, by default, see content similar to what they would encounter in age-appropriate films.

During her presentation in Makati City, Enlund said parents are mainly concerned about who their teens interact with, the type of content they are exposed to, and the amount of time they spend.

Under Teen Accounts, users aged 13 to 15 have private accounts by default, while the content they can view is limited to material rated suitable for those aged 13 and above.

Changes to these settings can only be made with parental approval.

Malina Enlund, Meta's head of safety policy in the Asia Pacific (Photo: Mariel Celine Serquiña/GMA News)

Meanwhile, teenagers aged 16 to 17 can modify their Teen Account settings, although their parents will be notified. Parents may also adjust the settings of their teen's account.

This is made possible through Meta's Family Center, where parents can manage their children's account settings and monitor their Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram accounts once these have been linked.

Parents can view who their teens interact with, reports they have submitted, blocked accounts, followers and following lists, as well as insights on screen time and content consumption.

What if teenagers lie about their age?

Enlund said teens who change their age on an existing account may be asked to verify it through facial age estimation, submission of identification documents, or other methods.

If Meta determines that a teen has lied about their age, the company may suspend or permanently disable the account, Enlund warned.

"We do encourage teens not to lie about their age because our classifiers are getting better and better. But okay, this is now on Facebook as well," Enlund said.

At the same event, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) said children should be provided with a safe cyberspace instead of being completely barred from social media.

Citing the 2021 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, CWC Executive Director Angelo Tapales said children have the right to meaningful access to digital technology while also having the right to protection.

Enlund said imposing a total ban on social media platforms could push teenagers toward unsupervised and potentially unsafe online spaces.

Instead, she called for greater support for the safety measures that social media platforms have put in place for young users. —VBL, GMA News