​Meta enhances teen safety on Facebook and Messenger

Guest column: Centralized control of age verification for apps protects teens

By Molly Conway Guest columnist It’s no surprise that the average teenager spends more time on their smartphones as they get older, where they receive dozens, if not hundreds, of app notifications, according to a 2023 report co-led by the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Common Sense. As a parent of a teenager, I know that it’s all too easy for teens to have unlimited access to apps at their fingertips. While I hav…

​Meta enhances teen safety on Facebook and Messenger

​Meta enhanced teen safety on Facebook and Messenger by expanding its Teen Accounts feature, to create a safer online environment.

Seven months after launching the "youth accounts" on Instagram, Meta puts them in place on Facebook and Messenger. These accounts for minors allow to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contacts. Available since 8 April in four Anglo-Saxon countries, they will soon be deployed in Europe.

Roblox: new safety features leave kids 'at risk'

New safety features on the popular children's gaming platform Roblox don't go far enough, experts have said.Roblox introduced the new features after warnings that children were being exposed to inappropriate content, and adults were creating fake child accounts to message, harass or groom them. The changes are a step in the right direction, say experts, but will still leave vulnerable kids at risk. What is Roblox? Roblox is a "gigantic platform"…

Meta expands 'teen accounts' to Facebook and Messenger

Ireland's Children’s Rights Alliance believes platforms shouldn't be trusted to decide and design their own safety rules for children. Read more: Meta expands ‘teen accounts’ to Facebook and Messenger

Huge changes coming to thousands of Facebook accounts from today

Thousands of young Australians will find their Facebook and Messenger accounts look very different today as Meta expands its Teen Accounts.Users under the age of 16 have their accounts automatically switched to Teen Accounts starting from today.The new Teen Accounts feature built-in protections including content controls, message limits, and screen time alerts designed to protect young people from inappropriate content and unwanted contact, an…