Meta blocks ‘Instagram Live’ feature or teens under 16, extends safety measures to Facebook

Expanding its safety features for Instagram users under the age of 16, Meta has now blocked their ability livestream to unblur nudity in direct messages without parental approval.

Meta announced that it was extending its 'Teen Accounts' safety features to Facebook and Messenger as well. (Representative Image/Unsplash)

This comes along with the social media giant's announcement that it was extending the 'Teen Accounts' safeguards for users under 18 on Facebook and Messenger.

Meta had in September last year launched its teen account program to provide parents with more options to supervise their children's online presence amid the growing condemnation over social media's effects on young people's lives.

Under the latest changes brought in by Mark Zuckerberg's firm, teenagers under the age of 16 are blocked from using the Instagram Live feature unless their parents give them permission. They also need approval from their parents to "turn off our feature that blurs images containing suspected nudity" in direct messages, Meta said.

These new terms will be first available to the users in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, following which it will be rolled out to global users in the coming months.

‘Teen Accounts’ for Facebook

Additionally, the teen account settings that will be brought to Facebook and Messager will have those protections already in place for teenage Instagram users, including setting teen accounts to private by default, blocking private messages from strangers, strict limits on sensitive content like fight videos, reminders to get off the app after 60 minutes and notifications being paused during bed time hours.

Meta said, "Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger will offer similar, automatic protections to limit inappropriate content and unwanted contact, as well as ways to ensure teens' time is well spent."

Since the launch of the teen accounts program, Meta said that at least 54 million accounts have been created on its social media platforms.

In recent years, the growing use of social networks at the hands of adolescents has prompted major concerns, especially with the amount of screentime and the lack of proper moderation by some platforms.

To curb this problem, Australia's parliament had in November last year voted in favour of banning teens under the age of 16 from using social media.

In addition, TikTok also recently launched a feature in the European Union, allowing parents to limit the amount of time their teenager kids spend on the application.