Instagram to bar strangers from sending DMs to teenagers in response to scrutiny of Big Tech

Published January 25, 2024 9:30am ET



Meta is changing its security settings so that users 18 or younger can no longer receive private messages from strangers by default, a policy change that comes in response to lawmakers and parents pressuring social media companies on teenage mental health.

Facebook and Instagram’s parent company announced on Thursday that teenagers 16 or younger will no longer be able to receive messages or be added to group chats on Instagram from users they don’t know. The policy change builds on a series of security and content standard updates implemented by the Big Tech social media platform to provide additional protections for younger users. Instagram and other platforms are facing growing scrutiny from lawmakers around the United States because of their influence over younger users.

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