Meta Expands Teen Accounts to Facebook & Messenger Worldwide
Meta is rolling out dedicated teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger globally. The specialized accounts — already used by hundreds of millions across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger — are designed to give younger users more protections and allow parents greater oversight.
Key points
- Mandatory for ages 13–15 in the rollout areas; Meta uses AI to detect users who may be lying about their age.
- Parental controls: parents can monitor screen time, approve contacts, and see who their teens are messaging with.
- Stricter privacy and safety settings to limit contact with unknown adults and reduce harmful content exposure.
- Instagram is also expanding a school partnership program in the US to help schools report bullying and other problematic behavior more quickly.
- Meta says hundreds of millions of teens already use these specialized accounts across its platforms, but the company is still facing lawsuits and investigations over child safety.
If you want to read the official info from Meta and coverage from tech media, see:
- Meta Family Center — Teen accounts on Facebook & Messenger
- TechCrunch — Meta introduces restricted Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger
What do you think — is this a smart safety step or an overreach into teens’ privacy? Share your views below.
Source notes: announcement originally covered by tech outlets and Meta Family Center. Removed any RSS links to the original Engadget feed.