The launch came in the wake of criticism from U.S. lawmakers, who accused Meta and other major platforms of failing to adequately protect teenagers.
With this global rollout, teens will automatically be placed in a safety-focused experience designed to filter inappropriate content and block unwanted contact. Users under 16 will need parental approval to adjust any of the default settings.
Under the new rules, teens can only receive messages from people they follow or have previously chatted with, and only friends are allowed to view or reply to their stories. Interactions such as tags, mentions, and comments are also restricted to friends or followed accounts.
Meta has added additional protections, including daily reminders to log off after one hour of use and automatic “Quiet Mode” overnight.
The expansion comes amid renewed scrutiny, following a whistleblower-led study suggesting that teens on Instagram remain exposed to harmful material, such as suicide, self-harm, and sexually explicit posts, even under Teen Account restrictions. Meta has rejected these findings, insisting its protections have reduced teens’ exposure to harmful content.
Meta announced on Thursday the official launch of its School Partnership Program, a new initiative that enables educators to flag safety issues—such as bullying—directly to Instagram for faster review and potential removal.
The program was piloted earlier this year, and Meta says feedback from participating schools was overwhelmingly positive. With the broader rollout, all middle and high schools in the U.S. are now eligible to join, gaining access to prioritized reporting tools and educational resources. Participating schools will also display a banner on their Instagram profiles, signaling to parents and students that they are recognized as official Instagram partners.
This move represents Meta’s latest effort to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on teen mental health. The issue has drawn attention from the U.S. Surgeon General and multiple states, some of which have introduced measures requiring parental consent for teens to access social platforms.
