Meta has announced a new set of parental supervision tools for teenagers using Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and Meta Horizon, including features that allow parents to view the general topics influencing their teen’s Instagram algorithm.
The company said the new updates are aimed at giving parents greater visibility into the type of content teens engage with online, while also simplifying parental controls across Meta platforms.
Under the latest update, parents and guardians will be able to see the broad interest categories their teens choose to see more of on Instagram, such as basketball, photography or musicals, through Meta’s Family Center supervision tools.
Meta clarified that parents will not be able to see individual posts, searches or specific content viewed by teens, but only the general categories shaping their algorithm recommendations.
The feature builds on Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” tool launched last year, which allows users to customise the content shown on Reels and Explore pages.
Meta also announced that parental supervision tools across Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and Meta Horizon will now be consolidated into a single Family Center hub, allowing parents to manage settings across all platforms from one place.
The company said parents will be able to send one supervision invitation covering multiple Meta apps instead of configuring settings separately for each service.
Meta said the number of teenagers in the United States enrolled in Instagram supervision tools has more than doubled since last year, which the company says reflects growing parental interest in online safety features.
The updates are being rolled out globally, with some new notification features initially limited to selected markets. (Newswire)