After getting the Global regulatory pressure, Meta responded and announced its decision on Tuesday that they will enhance the content control setting for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook. The purpose of this move is to shield youngsters from potentially harmful content, such as discussions on suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, that are prevalent on these social media platforms.
According to the Meta official blog post, In this setting, all accounts of teenagers will be turned into default to the most restrictive content control settings on Instagram and Facebook. They will also get additional limitations on searches within these social media apps. The meta declared that these restrictive measures will be rolled in the coming weeks intended to create age-appropriate experiences for teenagers.
If teens follow the accounts that discuss such sensitive topics, it will make it even more difficult for teenagers to encounter sensitive content. Meta further emphasized that these changes are committed to fostering a safe online environment for youngsters. The company stated that any post that has a small sign of self-harm or eating disorder will be removed from their feeds.
However, these changes still get criticism from a former Meta employee, Arturo Bejar, who testified before the U.S. Senate, expressed dissatisfaction, and he thinks that Meta is like a student who is grading its homework. Bejar believes that Meta should bring more than just these changes. He wants them to implement better designs on Facebook and Instagram to promote positive behaviors and create better tools that make reporting uncomfortable content and unwanted messages easier.
The Instagram parent company, Meta is facing backlash from the people of the United States and Europe. They accused Meta that they are making their apps more addictive that create mental health problems for the users. In the US, lawyers from 33 states took Meta to Court in October and said that Meta kept misleading them about the danger and telling them they were safe when they knew it could be harmful.
Simultaneously, in Europe, people are asking Meta to explain to them how their social apps are keeping children safe from harmful and illegal stuff.
The backlash from the audience further complicates Meta’s position. Meta is trying to beat TikTok to get the attention of young users. According to the survey by Pew Research Centre in 2023 showed that teens are more into TikTok, with 63% of youngsters preferring it, 59% choosing Instagram, and only 33% of the users like Facebook. This competition makes it more challenging for Meta.
Despite these efforts, some users are skeptical. One user pointed out that teens might find ways around the safeguards by providing false age information. They suggested that a more strict age verification process should be in place for those who want full access to sensitive content.
Meta is trying to address these concerns in its latest blog posts and trying to adjust its platform to be safe for teenagers. By the impact of these changes and the ongoing debate about the role of social media platforms in the youngsters lives still watched out keenly.