Meta's new teen safety rules: What changes on Instagram and Facebook

The new protections will first apply in participating US states and territories, subject to judicial approval. Meta has not announced these measures as a global rollout

Meta is set to introduce new default restrictions for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook in the US after signing an $18 billion settlement with 52 state attorneys general that requires new safety measures for young users. Under the deal, $5.3 billion of Meta’s payout over the next decade is tied to whether competing platforms adopt similar changes and make comparable contributions to state initiatives for children.

 

The proposed measures include a two-hour daily limit, a midnight-to-6 am overnight block, muted notifications during school hours, regular screen-time prompts and expanded parental controls. The rules are subject to judicial approval and will apply in participating US states and territories.

 

 

Meta, in a blog explaining the development, said most of the measures will remain in place for 10 years.

Two-hour daily limit

According to Meta, teen users will get a default two-hour daily time limit across Instagram and Facebook. The limit will be cumulative, meaning time spent scrolling on both platforms will count towards the same two-hour allowance, it added.

 

The restriction can be turned off only with parental permission. Meta also said the system will count usage across multiple accounts if it detects that a teen is using more than one account.

 

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the new restrictions are expected to be rolled out within six months. The measures will automatically apply to accounts belonging to users aged 13 to 17.

 

Instagram and Facebook blocked overnight

 

Meta will introduce a default Night Mode between midnight and 6 am. During this period, teenagers will not be able to post or view their Feed, Stories, Explore or Reels.

 

Direct messaging will remain available during the overnight period so teenagers can continue communicating with friends and family, Meta said.

 

According to Meta, the overnight restriction can be changed with parental permission. Meta's agreement initially commits the company to the Time Limit and Night Mode measures for five years. If other major platforms adopt the framework, the commitment would extend to 10 years, and the restrictions would become stricter. 

Notifications muted during school hours

A School Mode will mute notifications between 8 am and 3 pm by default, Meta said.

 

Teenagers will not receive push notifications during these hours, except for direct messages and alerts related to account security or safety. Parents will be able to loosen the restriction, the company said in its blog.

Screen-time prompts every 15 minutes

Instagram and Facebook will also show teenagers prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous screen time.

 

Additional prompts will appear when daily usage reaches 60 minutes and 90 minutes. Meta said the prompts are intended to encourage more deliberate use of the platforms.

Parents get more controls

Meta will expand the information and controls available to parents through its supervision tools.

 

Parents will be notified when a teenager links a secondary account. They will also receive alerts about interactions with potentially suspicious accounts, as well as periodic updates on usage and attempts to change protective settings, the company said.

 

Parents will also be able to require certain settings, including a non-algorithmic feed and autoplay being turned off, as the default experience for their teenager.

Changes to recommendations and autoplay

Teenagers will be able to choose a non-algorithmic feed as their default. This means the feed will not be personalised using Meta's recommendation systems.

 

They will also be able to turn off autoplay, requiring them to take an action such as tapping or swiping before more content plays. Parents can require these settings for their teen's account.

 

Meta will periodically remind teenagers about the option to use a non-algorithmic feed.

Likes and filters

The number of likes and reactions on posts will be hidden from teenagers by default. This will apply both to their own posts and posts made by others.

 

Meta will also extend its existing restrictions on cosmetic surgery filters. Teenagers will additionally be blocked from using extreme makeup filters.

Existing protections remain

The agreement also retains Meta's existing age-appropriate content restrictions. Teen accounts will continue to be placed by default in 13+ content settings, based on criteria inspired by movie ratings and feedback from parents.

 

Meta will continue restricting teenagers from following or interacting with accounts it considers age-inappropriate. Teen accounts will also remain private by default on Instagram, while Facebook accounts will continue to have private default settings.

 

The company will continue restricting potentially suspicious adults from contacting teenagers and says it will strengthen measures aimed at preventing such adults from finding, following or interacting with teen users.

Stronger age checks

Meta said it will invest in technology to identify accounts that may belong to users under 13. It will also strengthen systems designed to identify users aged 13 to 17, including cases where an account has been registered with an adult birth date.

 

Meta also said app stores should provide developers with verified age information so platforms can apply age-appropriate protections. The company said it will continue advocating legislation requiring app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval before teenagers download apps.

Meta wants TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar rules

The agreement is also tied to Meta's push for similar restrictions across other social media platforms.

 

Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same framework. The company said teenagers move between multiple apps, making platform-specific restrictions less effective.

 

“For meaningful progress to happen, we urge our peers to join us,” Meta said.

 

Bloomberg reported that $5.3 billion of Meta's settlement payment over the next decade is linked to conditions involving competing platforms. The remaining portion of the payment would be released if YouTube and TikTok introduce specified safety measures and make matching contributions, the report said.

 

Meta's Chief Legal Officer CJ Mahoney, in the company’s blog, said the agreement establishes “a new set of rules governing teens’ use of social media” and called for TikTok and YouTube to adopt the framework.

 

The company has agreed to pay approximately $18 billion under the settlement. Around $12.7 billion is expected to go to participating states over the 10-year period, while the remaining $5.3 billion is subject to the conditions linked to YouTube and TikTok.