Meta is introducing Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger. The feature, which automatically enrolls young users into an app experience with built-in protections, will be available on these platforms in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada before expanding to additional regions in the future.<\/p>\n
Teen Accounts first rolled out to Instagram<\/a> last September after Instagram and other popular social networks were\u00a0grilled by U.S. lawmakers<\/a>\u00a0for not doing enough to protect teens. As part of Tuesday\u2019s announcement, Meta said it\u2019s bringing new built-in protections for Teen Accounts on Instagram.<\/p>\n With the expansion to Facebook and Messengers, teens will automatically be placed into an experience that is designed to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contact. Teens under the age of 16 need their parents\u2019 permission to change any of the settings.<\/p>\n While Meta\u2019s blog post about the launch doesn\u2019t share the exact restrictions that teens will be placed under, the company told TechCrunch in an email that teens will only receive messages from people they follow or have messaged before.<\/p>\n In addition, only teens\u2019 friends can see and reply to their stories. Tags, Mentions, and comments will also be limited to people they follow or who are their friends.<\/p>\n Teens will also receive reminders to leave the social networks after using them for an hour a day. Plus, they will be enrolled into \u201cQuiet mode\u201d overnight. <\/p>\n As for the new restrictions on Instagram, teens under 16 will not be allowed to go live on the platform unless their parents give them permission to do so. Plus, teens under 16 will need to get parental permission to turn off the app\u2019s feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity in DMs.<\/p>\n The changes announced on Tuesday demonstrate Meta\u2019s latest step toward addressing teen mental health concerns tied to social media. These concerns have been\u00a0raised by the U.S. Surgeon General<\/a>\u00a0and several states, some of which have even\u00a0begun restricting teens from using social media<\/a>\u00a0without a parent\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n Meta has shared some insight into how Teen Accounts are doing on Instagram, as the company says it has moved 54 million teens into Teen Accounts. Meta says there are still many more to go, as the feature continues to roll out globally. The company also shared that 97% of teens ages 13-15 keep their built-in protections on, Meta says.<\/p>\n Meta also commissioned a study conducted by Ipsos that found that nearly all parents surveyed (94%) say Teen Accounts are helpful for parents, and 85% think they make it easier to help their teens have positive experiences on Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/New-Safety-Settings-Rectangle.png?w=680\")