Instagram: new limits for teenagers. So TikTok and Meta expand tools for parents

Inordinate use of social networks with the risk of addiction, fraudulent activities, cyberbullying phenomena and access to unsuitable content have led to an increasing number of complaints in recent years to protect young people who are exposed to numerous dangers and threats on the net on a daily basis. And it is precisely for this reason that the companies that own the most popular social networks of the moment have mobilised to propose tools so that parents can have greater control over their children's online life.

On this topic, a recent study commissioned by Meta and conducted by Ipsos shows that 94 per cent of parents consider the Teenager Accounts launched on Instagram in September 2024, currently adopted by over 54 million teenagers worldwide, to be useful, while 85 per cent believe they are valuable in supporting their children to have better experiences on the platform.

Then, last March, TikTok expanded the functionality of Family Pairing - already released five years ago - by giving parents the possibility to decide when their children should take a break from social networking by setting usage limits or to know which accounts they have blocked, or again, during the next few months, teenagers will be able to alert a parent or trusted adult, even if they do not use Family Pairing, when they report a video that might be against TikTok's rules.

But that's not all, because yesterday Meta announced new security solutions for parents and teenagers. Already in the coming months, a restriction will be introduced for Direct Messages on Instagram and the viewing of unwanted images shared via Direct Messages: teenagers under 16 years of age, in fact, will not be able to start a Direct or deactivate the function that blurs out images in DMs that might contain nudity, unless they have their parents' consent.

Moreover, starting in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, Teenager Accounts will also land on Facebook and Messenger, offering basic protections very similar to those already proposed on Instagram, in order to ensure appropriate use of the social network and limit inappropriate content and unwanted contacts. Italy will not be left out because, according to the company's announcement, the updates will also be made available later this year in Europe.