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Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, has launched Teen Accounts in Malaysia and the world
The move also comes ahead of the Malaysian government's plan to block users under 16 years old from using social media platforms.
Meta's Teen Accounts is a 'safety-first' version of the tech giant's social media apps, designed with protections for children aged between 13 and 16.
Here's what this means for you and your family.
1. Under Teen Accounts, all profiles belonging to users under 16 are now automatically set to private by default
Previously, anyone could see a teenager's profile if they didn't manually change their settings. Not anymore.
Now, only people the teenager follows can see their posts or interact with them.
For children aged 13 to 15, they can't make their account public unless a parent gives the green light.
2. Sleep Mode automatically turns on at 10pm
Meta is trying to put an end to doomscrolling at night for its younger users.
Under the new safeguards, all notifications are muted when Sleep Mode automatically kicks in from 10pm to 7am.
If someone DMs them, the teenager won't see it until morning.
3. Facebook and Instagram will send notifications after 60 minutes of app usage to limit screen time
To stop children from doomscrolling, Meta is adding a built-in timer for profiles under Teen Accounts.
After 60 minutes of usage in a single day, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will send a notification telling the teenager to close the app and do something else.
Parents can actually set even stricter limits or 'lock' the app after a certain time under Meta's Family Centre dashboard.
4. Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger users under 16 can only receive messages from people they already follow or are already connected with
One of the biggest worries for parents is who their children are talking to.
Under Meta's Teen Accounts, teenagers can only receive messages from people they already follow or are already connected with.
Meta is also adding 'Safety Indicators' in chats, showing when an account was created so teenagers can spot 'new' accounts that might be scammers. These indicators include details such as the date the account was created and who it belongs to.
5. Meta's Teen Accounts will now proactively hide 'sensitive' content from teenagers' feeds
Meta's algorithm is getting a filter designed to keep teenagers' feeds clean.
According to Meta, the algorithm will use AI to scan for keywords and images related to violence or 'mature' themes.
Obscene language and symbols are automatically blocked in comments and DMs.
6. Meta also introduced Family Centre for parents to have better control over their children's Facebook and Instagram accounts
For parents, you must have your own Facebook or Instagram account.
This is inline with the government's recommendation for parents to manage their children's social media accounts.
Parents will need to 'link' their profiles to their child's. This doesn't mean they can read their private messages (they can't!), but parents can see who their children have been talking to and change their safety settings.
7. Meta now employs AI across Instagram and Facebook to distinguish between teens and adults, ensuring age-appropriate experiences
Meta assured that the age assurance tech help ensure teens are placed in experiences that are appropriate for their age in a privacy-preserving way.
To combat underage accounts (under 13), Meta uses age screens that block repeated birthday attempts and provides in-app reporting tools.
If a flagged user cannot prove they meet the minimum age requirement through the verification menu, their account is removed.
8. Brands will still not be able to push targeted ads to children under Meta's Teen Accounts
If you're a marketeer or a brand, Meta's Advertising Standards still prohibit ads about restricted topics – like alcohol, financial products and weight loss products and services – to be shown to people under 18.
Brands can only reach Teen Account users based on broad age groups and general location.
Teen Account users, on the other hand, can manage the types of ads they see on Facebook and Instagram with Ad Topic Controls. They can go to their Ad Preferences within Settings on both apps, and choose 'See Less' or 'No Preference' to further control the types of ads they see.
