Instagram Introduces New Safety Measures for Teens: No Livestreaming Without Parental Consent

Instagram has announced new safety measures aimed at protecting younger users, with kids under 16 no longer allowed to livestream without parental approval. The social media giant, owned by Meta Platforms, also introduced restrictions on certain features in direct messages, further expanding its efforts to safeguard teens online.

This move is part of Meta’s broader initiative to enhance safety for younger users across its platforms. The company is extending these protections not only on Instagram but also on Facebook and Messenger.

Starting soon, teens under 16 will need parental consent to use Instagram’s livestream feature. Additionally, they’ll require approval to disable the feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity in direct messages. These changes are part of a larger push to give parents more control over their children’s online experience, amidst growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people.

Meta’s blog post explains that these changes will first be rolled out in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia, with plans to expand globally in the coming months.

In a major update, Meta also announced that it would extend these protections to Facebook and Messenger. The new safeguards, already implemented on Instagram, will ensure teen accounts on these platforms are set to private by default, block private messages from strangers, and restrict sensitive content like fight videos.

Other features include reminders to take breaks after 60 minutes of app usage and the disabling of notifications during bedtime hours. These automatic safety features are designed to protect teens from inappropriate content and unwanted contact, while also helping them manage their time online more effectively.

Since the launch of its teen account program in September, Meta has successfully set up over 54 million teen accounts. The company hopes these new measures will offer more control to parents while ensuring a safer, more positive online environment for young users.

By rolling out these changes across multiple platforms, Meta is working to balance user safety with a more secure social media experience for teenagers.