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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced new tools to its Family Center platform to give parents more control over their teenage children’s use of Messenger. These tools include the ability for parents to see how much time their child spends on the app, as well as view and adjust their privacy and safety settings. Parents can also now manage who can message their child and who can see their stories. Additionally, they will receive notifications for changes to their teen’s contact list and any modifications made to their privacy and safety settings. If their child reports a user to Meta, parents can choose to be notified if their teen shares that information.
According to Meta, these tools are just the first set of parental supervision features being released on the Family Center platform, with plans to add more over the next year. While currently only available to users in the US, UK, and Canada, the company intends to expand their availability to other regions worldwide in the coming months. It is worth mentioning that Facebook has already had parental controls for its Messenger Kids app for several years, but these new tools are specifically designed for the main Messenger app, catering to parents with teenagers aged 13 to 18.
In addition to the parental tools, Meta is implementing measures to promote healthy digital habits among teens. For example, Facebook will display a notification to teens after they have spent 20 minutes on the platform, encouraging them to set daily time limits. Instagram is also exploring a new feature that will nudge teens to close the app if they have been scrolling through Reels late at night. Furthermore, Meta has expanded parental controls for Instagram, enabling parents to see how many friends their teen has in common with the accounts they follow and are followed by. Teens will now receive a notification after blocking someone, encouraging them to add their parents to supervise their account.
Meta is also prioritizing user safety with a few updates that are not teen-focused. It is introducing Quiet Mode, which globally mutes all notifications and changes a user’s profile status on Instagram over the coming weeks. The company is also currently testing features aimed at protecting Instagram users from unwanted direct messages. Users are now required to send an invite to connect with someone who does not follow them before they can send a message. Furthermore, users can only send one invite at a time and are prohibited from sending more until the recipient accepts the invitation. These message request invites are limited to text only, preventing users from sending photos, videos, or voice messages to users they are not connected to.
These new tools and updates reflect Meta’s commitment to addressing concerns over privacy, safety, and digital well-being for users of its platforms, particularly for parents and their teenage children. By providing parents with greater visibility and control over their child’s use of Messenger and Instagram, Meta aims to empower families to create a safer and healthier online environment. With additional features planned and wider availability on the horizon, Meta continues to prioritize the well-being of its users and remains dedicated to improving the overall user experience on its social networking platforms.
In conclusion, Meta has introduced new tools to its Family Center platform that allow parents to monitor and manage their teenagers’ use of Messenger. These tools include features such as viewing app usage time, controlling privacy settings, and receiving notifications for changes made by teens. Meta plans to expand the availability of these tools to users worldwide, offering increased parental control and oversight. The company is also implementing measures to encourage healthy digital habits among teens, as well as enhancing safety features for all users. These developments demonstrate Meta’s commitment to providing a safer and more secure digital environment for its users.
