Meta, the tech giant behind Instagram and Facebook, is taking significant steps to enhance the online safety of teenagers on its social media platforms. The company has introduced stricter rules for direct messaging (DM) on both Instagram and Facebook, with a focus on preventing unwanted contact and ensuring a secure online environment for teens.

The most crucial update involves restrictions on adults aged 19 and above messaging teenagers who do not follow them. This measure is designed to protect teens from potential unwanted interactions. Now, adults can't send direct messages to teenagers unless they are mutual followers. Additionally, Instagram has imposed limitations on the type and number of DMs that users can send to individuals who do not follow them. Specifically, users can send only a single text message to someone not in their followers' list.

In a statement, Meta emphasized its commitment to safeguarding teens online, stating, "Today, we're announcing more steps to help protect teens from unwanted contact and to make it simpler for parents to shape their teens' online experiences." This demonstrates the tech giant's dedication to creating a safer digital space for young users.

Moving on to the Instagram DM update, Meta has implemented default settings to enhance the safety of teenagers. Under the new default setting, teenagers can only receive messages or be added to group chats by individuals they follow or are connected to. This provides teenagers and their parents with increased confidence that they won't receive messages from unknown individuals in their DMs. Teenagers with supervised accounts will require parental permission to modify this setting, reinforcing parental control over their teens' online interactions.

The default setting mentioned above will apply to all teenagers under the age of 16 (or under 18 in some regions). Existing Instagram users within this age group will receive notifications at the top of their Feed, informing them about these changes in message settings. This proactive communication ensures that users are aware of the adjustments and can adapt to the new settings accordingly.

Shifting the focus to Facebook's Messenger, Meta is extending its safety measures to this platform as well. For teenagers under 16 (or under 18 in specific countries), default settings will now only allow them to receive messages from Facebook friends or people in their phone contacts. This restriction adds an extra layer of protection by limiting incoming messages to known individuals, reducing the potential for unwanted contact.

In addition to messaging restrictions, Meta is addressing the issue of sensitive content on both Instagram and Facebook. The company plans to launch a new feature on Instagram aimed at protecting teens from seeing inappropriate images in their messages. This feature is designed to discourage the sharing of such content by teens themselves. For instance, if a supervised teen attempts to change their account from private to public or adjust content control settings, their parent will receive a notification seeking approval or denial. This feature enhances parental oversight and encourages responsible online behavior among teens.

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