Meta is expanding its Teen Accounts feature globally to Facebook and Messenger, a year after its initial launch on Instagram. The company also announced a new School Partnership Program for all U.S. middle and high schools to provide a direct channel for reporting online safety concerns.
Key Takeaways
- Meta's "Teen Accounts" with built-in safety protections are now expanding globally to Facebook and Messenger.
- A new School Partnership Program has been launched for all U.S. middle and high schools, offering prioritized reporting for safety issues.
- An online safety curriculum, developed with Childhelp, aims to educate one million middle school students on safe online practices.
- These initiatives are designed to limit unwanted contact, filter content, and provide educational resources for teens, parents, and educators.
Global Rollout of Teen Accounts
Meta has announced the global expansion of its Teen Accounts feature, extending its reach from Instagram to include Facebook and Messenger. This initiative, first introduced a year ago, automatically places users under 18 into accounts with more restrictive settings.
According to the company, hundreds of millions of teenagers have already been placed into these specialized accounts on Instagram. The expansion aims to create a more consistent safety experience across its major platforms.
The core function of Teen Accounts is to provide automatic protections. These settings are designed to limit who can contact teenagers and what type of content they are exposed to. The goal is to address common concerns from parents about their children's online interactions.
By the Numbers
Since their introduction, Teen Accounts have been applied to hundreds of millions of young users on Instagram. The feature is now being implemented for all eligible teen users on Facebook and Messenger worldwide.
Designed for Parent Peace of Mind
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, stated that the features were developed to give parents more confidence in their teens' use of social media. He emphasized the company's commitment to creating a safer environment for younger users.
"We want parents to feel good about their teens using social media," Mosseri said. "Teen Accounts are designed to give parents peace of mind. Since launching on Instagram a year ago, we’ve added limits on teens going Live, more restrictions in DMs, and also improved our ability to make sure people are in age-appropriate experiences."
Mosseri added, "Supporting parents and helping teens use our apps safely is a responsibility we take seriously." The features are part of an ongoing effort to refine safety protocols for the platform's youngest demographic.
New Partnership Program for U.S. Schools
In addition to user-facing features, Meta is launching the School Partnership Program for all middle and high schools across the United States. This program creates a formal communication channel for educators to report safety issues directly to the company.
The initiative was developed in collaboration with two prominent educational organizations: the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
The primary benefit for participating schools is a prioritized reporting system. Educators can flag content or accounts that may violate community standards, with a commitment from Meta to review these reports within 48 hours. This is intended to expedite the response to issues like online bullying.
Program Benefits and Feedback
Schools that enroll in the program receive several key benefits:
- Prioritized Reporting: A dedicated channel for faster review of safety concerns.
- Educational Resources: Materials to help school communities navigate social media safely.
- Profile Banner: An official banner on their Instagram profile identifying them as a program partner.
The program was piloted over the past year before its nationwide rollout. Justin Ponzio, Principal of Buchser Middle School, participated in the pilot and provided positive feedback on its effectiveness.
"Partnering with Instagram has been incredibly helpful in keeping our students and community safer online," Ponzio stated. "I had an inside track and faster responses to reports of inappropriate behaviors online. I cannot stress enough the importance of new ways to keep kids safe in this changing world."
U.S. middle and high schools can now sign up for the program through the Instagram for Educators website or directly within their Instagram account settings.
Expanding Online Safety Education
Meta is also focusing on proactive educational measures through a partnership with the child safety organization Childhelp. Together, they have developed an online safety curriculum specifically for middle school students.
About the Curriculum
The curriculum, fully funded by Meta and available for free, teaches students how to identify potential signs of online exploitation and what actions to take if they or a friend need help. It includes facilitator training, scripted lessons, interactive activities, and videos for parents and educators.
The company has set a goal of reaching one million U.S. middle schoolers with this curriculum. Based on current adoption by educators and parents, it is projected to be taught to over 550,000 students in the upcoming school year.
Peer-Led Learning Initiative
Recognizing that teenagers often respond well to peer instruction, Meta has also collaborated with LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League. LifeSmarts has adapted the curriculum into a peer-led version.
This new model empowers high school students to teach the online safety lessons to their younger, middle school peers. This approach aims to make the discussions more relatable and engaging for the target audience. The peer-led version is now available for schools and youth groups to implement.
These combined efforts—expanding account protections, partnering with schools, and distributing educational materials—represent Meta's multi-faceted strategy to enhance safety for its teenage users.