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Meta has started rolling out dedicated “teen accounts” for Facebook and Messenger globally. The account is aimed at adding parental controls and other protections for younger users. Instagram, which has already added teen account features, is now opening up its program that allows middle schools and high schools to report bullying.
Meta said it is extending teen accounts to Facebook and Messenger because “hundreds of millions” of teens are already using its platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger—where many of them have active accounts. This expansion includes both new teen users (when they sign up) and existing teen users who already use Facebook or Messenger.
Teen Accounts are special account settings for teenage users (typically under 18) that come with built-in protections around content, messaging, contact, and parental controls. But for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, Meta has made teen accounts mandated the account for teens between 13 and 15 years old.
Meta claims that hundreds of millions of teens are now placed in Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. The rollout was foreshadowed in April 2025, when Meta announced plans to bring the protections from Instagram to Facebook and Messenger. In the European Union, these features have started as part of this global rollout.
Meta's Teen Account Features and Limitations
Teen Account was first introduced to Instagram in 2024 and in the beginning of 2025, the company extended the account and made it available to teens on Facebook and Messenger, starting with U.S, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Now, Meta has decided to make the teen account available worldwide with more privacy control.
Here's the list of features and limitations the Meta's teen account possesses:
- Mandatory for teens between the ages of 13 and 15.
- Accounts set to private by default.
- Ability of parents to monitor their child's screen time.
- Limits on who can send direct messages (DMs).
- ability for parents to view who their kids are messaging with.
- Blur filters on images suspected to show nudity.
- Restrictions on “going Live” for users under 16 unless parental permission is granted.
- Notifications off during “quiet hours,” reminders after certain usage time, etc.
In addition to age restriction, Meta uses AI to detect teens that may be lying about their age. The teen accounts are designed with stricter privacy and safety controls that reduce contact or interactions with adults they don't know. The purpose of the teen account is to provide a safer, more age-appropriate experience, and to address parent concerns about content and contacts.
Instagram Expands School Safety Program
In addition to the teen accounts global rollout, Instagram is also expanding a program—called School Partnership Program—that helps U.S. middle and high schools quickly report bullying and other harmful and problematic behaviors.
The “school partnership program” was first tested with a small group of schools, but now any school in the country can join. Meta says the feedback so far has been positive, and what give the company more positive vibes to expand the program.
There’s increasing regulatory and public pressure on social media platforms to protect children and teens from online harms, including inappropriate content, bullying, predation, and excessive use.
However, Meta’s extension of Teen Accounts across more of its social media platforms and expansion of School Partnership Program are response to these pressures and part of its global ‘safety’ positioning.
It's worth noting that the social media company has spent the last few years ramping up parental control features and attempting to close some of the more obvious gaps in its safety features. Despite these efforts, Meta is under heavy scrutiny. It faces multiple lawsuits and government investigations over how well it has protected children on its apps.
