Meta is expanding its 13+ content settings for Teen Accounts worldwide across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, while Instagram tests a new feature aimed at giving teens more variety and reducing repeated exposure to sensitive content.
TL;DR
- Meta’s 13+ Teen Account settings are expanding globally across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.
- Facebook and Messenger are getting new default teen protections for content and interactions.
- Instagram is testing limits on repetitive sensitive content across Explore, Feed, and Reels.
- Alice’s external assessment found Instagram Teen Accounts saw far less mature content than a leading competitor.
Meta Expands 13+ Teen Account Settings Globally Across Instagram, Facebook And Messenger
Meta is taking its Teen Account protections beyond the initial rollout markets and expanding its 13+ content settings globally across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.
The move builds on last October’s update, when Instagram Teen Accounts in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada were defaulted into a new 13+ content setting. The setting was inspired by movie ratings criteria and parent feedback, with Meta saying it is meant to help teens see age-appropriate content by default.
So far, Meta says 9 out of 10 teens have remained in this default setting since launch. The company also offers a stricter Limited Content setting for parents who want a more restricted experience for their teen.
On Facebook, the new 13+ default setting is designed to hide content considered inappropriate for teens in areas such as Feed and Reels. It will also limit teens’ ability to interact with Profiles, Pages, Groups, and Events that primarily post inappropriate content.
Messenger is getting its own version of the guardrails. The 13+ default setting will limit teens’ ability to view links to inappropriate Facebook content or chat with accounts that primarily share inappropriate content on Facebook.
Meta said the Limited Content setting will also become available on Facebook and Messenger later this year.
Instagram Tests Feed Variety Tool To Reduce Repeated Teen Exposure
Alongside the global rollout, Meta is testing a new Instagram feature meant to stop teens from seeing too much of the same type of sensitive or borderline content at once.
The company pointed to posts about nutrition, weightlifting, or coping with anxiety as examples of content that can be helpful but may become less healthy if shown repeatedly. The test is designed to limit teens from seeing too many posts of this kind in one go across Explore, Feed, and Reels.
This matters because teen safety tools are no longer just about blocking individual pieces of content. Meta is now trying to address how recommendation systems shape repeated viewing patterns, especially when certain themes can affect young users differently depending on frequency and context.
Meta Says Parent Feedback Helped Shape Teen Content Controls
Meta said it has continued asking parents worldwide to review Facebook and Instagram content and rate whether it is appropriate for teens.
According to the company, hundreds of thousands of parents have rated more than 15 million pieces of content. In its most recent survey at the end of April, parents in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada reviewed Facebook content recommended to teens in their countries.
Meta said fewer than 2% of those posts were considered inappropriate for teens by most parents.
Alice Assessment Finds Instagram Teen Accounts Saw Less Mature Content
Meta also commissioned Alice, formerly ActiveFence, to evaluate its Teen Account settings through adversarial stress-testing.
Alice compared mature themes seen on Instagram, a leading competitor, and movies rated 13+, based on Meta’s age-appropriate guidelines. Its assessment found that Instagram Teen Accounts using the default 13+ setting saw 68% less mature content than the competitor’s teen experience.
The stricter Limited Content setting added another layer of protection, with Instagram Teen Accounts seeing 96% less mature content than the competitor’s teen experience.
Alice also found that when Instagram Teen Accounts did see mature content, it was less intense than mature content seen on the competitor and in 13+ rated movies. The assessment also noted that Instagram blocked mature search terms more often than its competitor.
The assessment confirmed that Teen Accounts are defaulted into the 13+ setting, teens cannot select the More Content setting without parental permission, and teens in Limited Content cannot see or post comments.
Topics For More Insights
Meta Updates Policies After Stress-Test Findings
Alice identified two areas where Meta could improve, and Meta said it moved quickly to address them.
Instagram Teen Accounts already had safeguards to prevent interaction with accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content. After Alice found a few exceptions, Meta updated its detection signals and said the improvements were retested before publication.
The review also found rare cases of mature content involving risky stunts or viral challenges. Meta said one newly popular trend, car surfing, was not yet covered by its policies, unlike subway surfing, which was already restricted for teens.
Meta has since updated its policies to restrict that content for teens.
