Meta is introducing sweeping changes for teenage users across Instagram and Facebook, following the settlement of an £14 billion lawsuit announced on Wednesday. The company says the new measures are designed to meet the terms of the agreement while helping to reduce teen social media addiction.
In a recent post, Meta set out a series of updates that will apply only to those under 18. Most of the changes were required as part of the settlement, notably the introduction of daily limits and night mode controls for teenagers, alongside age-assurance measures intended to prevent users from circumventing the system. As part of the agreement, Meta has denied any wrongdoing.
The move comes amid worldwide pushback over teenagers and children using social media. The EU has restricted access to social apps for children under 13, while Australia has banned apps such as Instagram for anyone under 16. Some advocates remain concerned that Meta’s changes will not go far enough to protect teenagers, arguing that the updates do not address the underlying platform architecture designed to keep young users engaged through features such as infinite scroll.
Time limits for teenagers
Chief among the upcoming changes are time limits for teenage users. A new default limit will cap social media scrolling at two hours a day for those under 18, and it can only be extended by parents.
An additional night mode will block most access to content such as feeds, stories, explore mode and reels between midnight and 6am, while a school mode will mute notifications between 8am and 3pm.
Meta is also adding features that give 15-minute warnings to teenagers who have spent an extended period on the apps, as well as 60-minute and 90-minute alerts as their daily allotment runs down. To further reduce constant scrolling, autoplay for videos and clips will be turned off by default, though, like most features, it can be adjusted by parents.
Protection against toxic content
Meta is implementing several changes intended to reduce toxicity and obsession with social media. By default, teenagers will not see likes and reactions on posts, including their own. They will also be restricted from viewing certain content, such as cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup filters, although it is not clear how far those limitations will extend.
The company is adding age-appropriate content restrictions, but details remain limited. While Meta says it will use movie ratings and parent feedback to build filters, it has not explained how this applies to social media posts or provided examples of blocked content.
In addition, teenagers will have the option to choose a non-algorithm version of their feeds that will not be personalised by any Meta recommendations. The daily default limit for users under 18 is set at two hours.
