From Fortune Magazine:

Meta announced that it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers’ Instagram and Facebook accounts, including posts on suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. They say they want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences. Teen users will also have their accounts on the most restrictive settings and will be blocked from searching for harmful terms.

The social media giant aims not to recommend such “age-inappropriate” material to teens but also won’t show it in their feeds, even if it’s shared by someone they follow. This is part of the company’s commitment to providing safe, age-appropriate experiences for teens on their platforms.

According to the company, the decision to hide this type of content was to destigmatize important stories related to self-harm but recognizes that these are complex topics and are not suitable for all young people.

The move comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states, accusing it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by purposely addicting children to its platforms.

Critics of Meta’s decision have expressed disappointment, saying the moves don’t go far enough and that the company’s announcement seems like a desperate attempt to avoid regulation.

Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s online advocacy group Fairplay, said that if Meta is capable of hiding harmful content, why did they wait until 2024 to announce these changes?



Read more: Meta says Instagram, Facebook will hide posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders from teenagers’ accounts