Meta introduces new features to protect teens on Instagram; see details

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has announced plans to implement new features aimed at protecting teenagers and combatting potential scammers on its platform. This move comes amidst growing concerns surrounding harmful content and its impact on young users.

In a statement released on Thursday, Meta revealed its intention to trial features designed to blur messages containing nudity in an effort to safeguard teenagers and prevent them from being targeted by malicious individuals. The technology behemoth stated that the protection feature for Instagram's direct messages would utilise on-device machine learning to analyse images for nudity before they are sent.

This feature will be automatically enabled for users under the age of 18, with Meta actively encouraging adults to activate it as well. Importantly, Meta emphasised that the nudity protection feature will function even in end-to-end encrypted chats, ensuring privacy while still prioritising safety.

The company also disclosed ongoing efforts to develop technology to identify accounts potentially involved in sextortion scams. Furthermore, Meta revealed plans to test new pop-up messages to warn users who may have interacted with such accounts, demonstrating a proactive approach to tackling online exploitation.

This announcement follows Meta's earlier commitment in January to conceal more content from teenage users on both Facebook and Instagram, aiming to minimise exposure to sensitive topics such as suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Meta's actions come amidst mounting legal pressure in both the United States and Europe. In October, attorneys general from 33 U.S. states, including California and New York, filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging repeated misinformation regarding the risks associated with its platforms. Similarly, the European Commission has sought clarification from Meta regarding its measures to protect children from illegal and harmful content.