Meta tightens teen safety features ahead of u16 ban

Meta has announced a number of new safety features for its teenage user base, including increased transparency regarding the accounts they are messaging, safety tips regarding adults users, and a combined ‘block and report’ function.

The company announced the new features on its blog overnight, writing: “At Meta, we work to protect young people from both direct and indirect harm. Our efforts range from Teen Accounts, which are designed to give teens age-appropriate experiences and prevent unwanted contact, to our sophisticated technology that finds and removes exploitative content.”

From today, teenagers using Instagram or Facebook will see extra context about accounts direct messaging them, including the month and year the user joined Instagram, as well as the option to block and report an account with one click.