Meta is expanding Teen Accounts - what it considers its age-appropriate experience for under 18s - to Facebook and Messenger. The system involves putting younger teens on the platforms into more restricted settings by default, with parental permission required in order to live stream or turn off image protections for messages. It was first introduced last September on Instagram, which Meta says "fundamentally changed the experience for teens" on the platform. But campaigners say it's unclear what difference Teen Accounts has actually made. "Eight months after Meta rolled out Teen...

Meta is introducing Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger. The feature, which automatically enrolls young users into an app experience with built-in protections, will be available on these platforms in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada before expanding to additional regions in the future. Teen Accounts first rolled out to Instagram last September after Instagram and other popular social networks were grilled by U.S. lawmakers for not doing enough to protect teens. As part of Tuesday’s announcement, Meta said it’s bringing new built-in protections for Teen Accounts on Instagram.