US social media giant Meta announced on Tuesday that it would begin hiding inappropriate content from teenagers’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook, including posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.
Meta clarified that while it already aims to not recommend such content deemed age-inappropriate to teens, it will now no longer show it in their feeds, even if it is shared by an account.
Teen users will also have their accounts placed on the platforms’ most restrictive settings and will no longer be able to search for potentially harmful terms, provided they did not lie about their age when they signed up. Instagram or Facebook.
Meta’s announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states that accuse it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately engineering features on Instagram and Facebook which makes them addicted to its platforms.
Observers, however, believe that the actions announced by Meta on Tuesday do not go far enough.
Additionally, online children’s rights group Fairplay calls the announcement a desperate attempt to avoid regulation and a slap in the face for parents who have lost their children to online harm on Instagram.
The group believes that if Meta is capable of hiding pro-suicide and eating disorder content, he could have acted much sooner.
Suicide Need help?
Do not hesitate to call the Quebec Suicide Prevention Line: 1 866 APPELLE (1 866 277-3553).
Mental Health
To get help regarding your mental health or that of a loved one, do not hesitate to contact the Info-Social 811 service.
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