Instagram Restricts Users Under 16 From Livestreams

Instagram will henceforth require parental approval before users under 16 can go live or unblur potentially explicit images in direct messages, Meta Platforms has announced.

The social media platform, in a statement on Tuesday, said the move is part of efforts to enhance safety for teenagers on the platform.

According to Meta, the new rules will first take effect in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, while it is expected to extend to other countries in the coming months.

Under the new policy, teens under 16 will be blocked from using Instagram Live unless their parents grant permission.

They will also need consent to disable a feature that automatically blurs suspected nudity in direct messages, a tool introduced in April 2024 to combat teen sexual extortion.

Meta has been expanding its teen safety efforts across its platforms. In September, the company launched a parental supervision program for Instagram, and now it’s extending similar protections to Facebook and Messenger.

These safeguards include making teen accounts private by default, blocking messages from strangers, limiting exposure to sensitive content like violent videos, issuing reminders after 60 minutes of usage, and disabling notifications during bedtime hours.

“Teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger will now have similar automatic protections to reduce exposure to harmful content and ensure more mindful screen time,” Meta stated.

According to Meta, since the program’s launch in September, over 54 million teen accounts have been set up with these safety measures.

The development comes amid growing concerns about social media’s impact on young users.

In late 2023, 33 U.S. states filed lawsuits against Meta, accusing the company of designing addictive platforms for children and teens to boost profits. They also alleged Meta collected data on minors without parental consent, an alleged violation of federal law.

In response, Meta reiterated its commitment to teen safety, stating it has rolled out over 30 tools to support young users and their families in creating positive online experiences.

Instagram Restricts Users Under 16 From Livestreams is first published on The Whistler Newspaper