Teen safety updates coming to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger

SAN FRANCISCO -- Meta is expanding its content settings for teen accounts on its Facebook, Instagram and Messenger platforms in a bid to keep kids safer online, the company announced Tuesday.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp, says teenagers who use accounts under Meta's expanded teen account settings won't be able to see inappropriate content in their Facebook Feed and Reels or within Messenger, and their ability to interact with certain Facebook Profiles, Pages, Groups and Events that "primarily post inappropriate content" or chat with Messenger accounts that post inappropriate content will be restricted. 

The social media and technology company also said it is testing ways to restrict teens from seeing too many posts in their apps' Explore, Feed and Reels tabs about certain topics that may be helpful at first but could veer into harmful territory if shown repeatedly, such as posts about nutrition, weightlifting and coping with anxiety.

Meta said the new updates are rolling out globally.

When reached by ABC News, Meta said the teen account safety updates deliver on the company's October 2025 announcement introducing movie ratings criteria-inspired 13+ settings, meant to surface age-appropriate content for teen users under 18.

"The updated 13+ setting, inspired by 13+ movie ratings criteria and parent feedback, is designed to help make sure teens are seeing age-appropriate content, so we're excited to make the setting the default for more teens around the world," the company said in a statement.

Meta's updates come more than two months after a Los Angeles jury found the company, as well as video platform YouTube, negligent in designing apps that harmed kids by leading them to develop social media addictions.

The jury in that case decided Meta should pay $4.2 million in damages to the plaintiffs, a mother and daughter who argued the company's various addictive features, including auto-scrolling, had led the daughter to develop anxiety, depression and body image issues. YouTube, owned by Google, was found liable for another $1.8 million.

Following the landmark social media trial verdict, Meta said in a statement to ABC News, "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."

A Google spokesperson told ABC News at the time that the company disagreed with the verdict and also planned to appeal.