Facebook and Instagram will operate under much stricter rules for teenagers in the United States.
Meta has agreed to limit the time spent on the two platforms, block access during nighttime, and stop notifications during school hours, as part of the agreement of up to 18 billion dollars reached with the U.S. authorities.
The changes apply to users aged between 13 and 17 years old. Meta will also need to improve its systems for identifying and removing accounts of children under 13 years old.
According to the official agreement presented by TechCrunch, the main modifications are:
- Maximum of two hours per day: Teenagers will be allowed to use Facebook and Instagram, combined, for a maximum of two hours per day. The limit will include time spent on different accounts if Meta determines they belong to the same person. Parents can deactivate it.
- Exceptions for messages and long-form content: The daily limit will not include time spent on messaging or watching video or audio content of at least 22 minutes.
- Facebook and Instagram blocked at night: Between midnight and 6:00 a.m., teenagers will not be able to view or post content on the two platforms. The messaging feature will remain available. Parents can modify the restriction.
- No notifications during school hours: Notifications will be disabled between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., except for direct messages and alerts regarding account safety or security.
- A feed without personalized recommendations: Within four months of the agreement coming into effect, teenagers will be able to choose a default option of a feed that does not use Meta's algorithms to recommend content.
- More control over autoplay: Teenagers and parents can disable autoplay. To watch the next clip, the user will have to make an intentional gesture, such as pressing or swiping the screen.
- Likes will be hidden: Likes and other reactions to posts will be hidden by default for underage users.
- Beauty filters restricted: Teenagers will no longer be able to use filters that drastically alter physical appearance or mimic the results of cosmetic procedures.
- More frequent warnings: Minor users will receive messages after every 15 minutes of uninterrupted use of one of the platforms, in addition to warnings about total time spent online.
- Stricter age verification: Meta will need to identify teenagers who falsely declare their age and automatically activate appropriate protections. The company will estimate users' age based on account activity and information provided by Apple and Google.
The changes will be gradually implemented starting from August 27, 2026.
Most of them must be applied within the next six months, and the new age verification systems by August 2027, according to Reuters. For now, the measures will apply in the United States, and Meta has not announced whether they will be extended to other countries.
G.P.