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| Meta launches new tools to protect teens on Facebook and Instagram |
On Monday, the Meta announced new updates to protect teens on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in what appears to be a new attempt to attract the kind of users culled from other platforms such as TikTok.
In a post, the US tech giant said: “Today we're sharing an update on the work we're doing to keep young people safe from harm and our commitment to creating a safe and youth-friendly experience of living the work done.” on its blog.
In the post, Meta referred to measures she announced last year to prevent teens from interacting with shady adults. For example, Meta bans adults from messaging teens they're not related to or people they see in People You May Know recommendations.
In addition to its current platform, Meta has begun testing ways to protect teens from posts by suspicious adults who have nothing to do with them, and says it will no longer offer teens a "People You Know" recommendation to view.
Meta said the "suspicious" account belonged to an adult who was recently suspended or reported by a teen. To further protect teens, the company is also testing removing buttons on Instagram that allow teens to message suspicious adults.
The company said it has developed a set of tools for teens to report distress they feel when using the app and receive push notifications encouraging them to use the tools. Tools include letting teens report accounts they block and safety tips with information on what to do with inappropriate messages from adults.
Last year, it made it easier for users to find reporting tools, which led to a 70 percent increase in DM notifications across the Messenger and Instagram services in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, Meta said.
Starting today, users under the age of 16 (or 18 in some countries) who join Facebook will have more private settings by default, the Meta said, while existing teen users are encouraged to choose the most private setting, which will determine who can their friends see it. A list of who can see the people, pages, and lists they follow, who can see posts they are tagged in on their profile page, and who can comment on their public posts.
Meta is also trying to reduce the spread of "intimate" images online among teens, particularly those who have taken advantage of them, and says it's working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to create a world of platforms for teens who worry about intimate images. It is shared online without their consent.
The company said the platform would be similar to what it does to prevent intimate images between adults from spreading online without their consent.