Kids Under 16 Will Need Parental Permission To Livestream On Instagram

Meta has announced that users under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to livestream on Instagram or turn off image protections for messages without parental permission. The new restrictions are introduced to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate content and contact. Meta said that these updates will be available in the "next couple of months".

The social media company is also expanding the Teen Accounts feature to Facebook and Messenger. Meta unveiled 'Teen Accounts' last year, and all teenage users were automatically placed under these accounts. Teen Accounts have built-in protections which limit who can contact them and the content they see. "We’ll begin rolling Facebook and Messenger Teen Accounts out to teens in the US, UK, Australia and Canada and will bring the experience to teens in other regions soon," said Meta in a blog post.

The company says it has moved at least 54 million teens globally into teen accounts since they were introduced in September. Meta also commissioned a study conducted by Ipsos that found that nearly all parents surveyed (94%) say the Teen Accounts feature is helpful for parents.