Instagram will trigger a notification to parents in case of worrying signs.
Faced with growing criticism about the impact of social media on the mental health of minors, with studies since 2021, Instagram announces a new protection measure. Indeed, the platform will now warn parents if their teenager searches related to suicide or self-harm.
This initiative comes at a time of significant legal and political pressure, particularly in the United States where several lawsuits target major platforms for their handling of sensitive content.
An alert triggered in case of repeated searches
Meta plans several alert levels – Source: Meta
As can be read in the Prevention messages already present on the social network – Source: Meta
It's worth noting that searches explicitly related to suicide or self-harm are already blocked on Instagram, as the platform has taken the issue very seriously since 2019. With each search, users are redirected to help resources and specialized helplines.
But this announcement comes as Meta faces a high-profile lawsuit in California, where the company is accused of prioritizing its growth over the protection of minors. During the hearings, executives like Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri were questioned about the design of mechanisms to encourage engagement among young users, and they rejected the accusations. They believe that since 2024, Instagram has significantly increased its features for 13- to 18-year-olds, notably with "teen accounts" enabled by default. Meta also indicates it is working on a similar system for its artificial intelligence tools, where, when a teenager contacts Meta AI with sensitive questions, alerts could be triggered in certain cases. Given the close scrutiny of minors' protection, particularly in France, where the government is considering restricting access to social networks for those under 15, these measures will aim to restore user trust.
Comments