National 11 April 2025: Meta today announced the next phase of its teen safety initiatives in India, with enhanced built-in protections on Instagram along with upcoming safeguards on Facebook and Messenger. Meta also introduced additional protections whereby teens under 16 will no longer be able to go live or disable filters that block unwanted images in direct messages without a parent’s approval. To raise awareness about its efforts to offer a safe online experience to teens, Meta organized a Teen Safety Forum, which was headlined by a panel between Twinkle Khanna, author, columnist and founder of Tweak India and Tara Hopkins, Global Director of Public Policy, Instagram and attended by safety experts, parents and educators.
These updates build on the success of Instagram Teen Accounts, which are designed to offer a safer, more age-appropriate experience for young users, while giving parents more oversight and peace of mind. Over 54 million teens now use Instagram Teen Accounts worldwide since the initial rollout began in September 2024.
Meta is currently rolling out Teen accounts on Instagram in India and is preparing to extend Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger later this year. These accounts will feature similar safeguards, including protection from unwanted contact, reduced exposure to sensitive content and tools for managing time spent in-app. Further, parents will be able to supervise how their teens interact across Meta apps.
“Young people deserve safe, age-appropriate online experiences, and these updates are part of our long-term commitment to building platforms that prioritize their well-being. When we launched Teen Accounts on Instagram last year, our aim was to create technology that balances self-expression with built-in protections. In India — home to one of the world’s largest youth populations and a diverse creator community, we will continue to listen to the needs of both teens and parents. We are very encouraged that 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 have stayed within these protective settings globally,” said Tara Hopkins, Global Director of Public Policy, Instagram.
Twinkle Khanna, founder of Tweak India, acclaimed author, and parent, added, “Social media is an incredible tool, but it can also be overwhelming — especially for teens. As a parent, I know how hard it can be to strike the right balance between giving your teen freedom and making sure they are safe online. The new Instagram Teen Accounts features will give teens the tools to steer their own ship while parents can keep an eye out to make sure they don’t crash into icebergs.”
Stronger Protections for Young Users
Instagram Teen Accounts come with built-in safety features that limit who can interact with teens and what kind of content they can see. These settings are automatically applied, and teens under the age of 16 require parental permission to make them less strict.
In India, these protections are now live. Key features include default private account settings, restrictions on who can message, tag, or mention teens and content filters that reduce exposure to potentially harmful or sensitive material.
- Enhanced message controls: Strangers won’t be able to message teens unless the teen has chosen to allow message requests from people they don’t follow.
- Real-time notifications: Teens will get an alert if someone attempts to contact them too frequently or in a suspicious way.
- Parental supervision tools: Guardians will be able to see more insights into how their teen uses Messenger and customize settings according to what works best for their family.
Strengthening Teen Safety in India
In India, Meta has been actively engaging parents, educators, and young users through a series of initiatives focused on online safety and digital well-being of youth. In 2024, we hosted Talking Digital Suraksha for Teens across six cities to raise awareness among parents about 50+ safety tools available on our platforms.
