BENGALURU: To protect young users from online harm, Meta on Monday said it will introduce new features on its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. It is testing removing the message button on teens’ Instagram accounts when they are viewed by suspicious adults.
Meta is also testing ways to protect teens from messaging suspicious adults that they are not connected to. Meta said a suspicious account is one that belongs to an adult that may have recently been blocked or reported by a young person.
Meta has also introduced new privacy defaults for teens on Facebook. Some of the privacy settings include people who can see teens’ friends list, who can see posts that they are tagged in on their profile and who is allowed to comment on their public posts.
“We’re working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to build a global platform for teens who are worried intimate images they created might be shared on public online platforms without their consent,” Meta said. It is also developing new tools and education to stop the spread of self-generated intimate images online.
Teens can also let Facebook and Instagram know if something makes them feel uncomfortable while using its apps. It is promoting teens to report accounts after they block someone, and sending them safety notices with information on how to navigate inappropriate messages from adults.