Meta Expands Parental Controls for Teen AI Use Amid Safety Concerns

Meta is rolling out new parental controls designed to give parents greater oversight and authority over how their teens interact with AI chatbots on Instagram. In a blog post, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Meta’s chief AI officer Alexandr Wang announced that parents will soon be able to completely disable private conversations between their children and AI characters on the platform. This includes the ability to block access to specific AI personas that parents may find inappropriate, such as those with flirtatious or overly casual behavior that sparked criticism earlier this year. The move marks one of Meta’s most significant safety updates since launching its AI chatbots across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company has faced growing scrutiny over the conduct of its AI characters, particularly after reports surfaced of some bots engaging in suggestive or emotionally manipulative interactions with teenage users. In response, Meta is now prioritizing safety, especially for younger users. While the new controls will allow parents to turn off all AI chat interactions for teens, Meta emphasized that its own AI assistant will remain available. The company stated that its AI assistant will continue to offer helpful, educational, and age-appropriate support, with safeguards in place to ensure it aligns with safety standards for minors. Parents will also gain access to limited “insights” about how their teens are using AI. Though Meta offered few specifics, the feature is expected to provide high-level summaries of the topics teens are discussing with AI characters and Meta’s own assistant. The goal is to help parents initiate meaningful conversations with their children about responsible AI use, rather than simply monitoring content. Meta hopes these insights will empower families to engage thoughtfully with the technology their teens are using. Despite the promise of increased control, the new tools won’t be available immediately. Meta confirmed that the parental controls will launch in “early next year,” initially only on Instagram and for English-speaking users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. The company plans to expand the feature to other regions and platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in the future, with more details to come. This update follows another major safety change introduced this week: a new content filter that limits what teens can see on Instagram to content comparable to a PG-13 movie. Together, these changes reflect Meta’s broader effort to address growing concerns about the impact of social media and AI on adolescent mental health and online safety. The introduction of parental controls for AI interactions is a significant step, especially as generative AI becomes more embedded in social platforms. While the current rollout is limited in scope, it signals Meta’s willingness to respond to public and regulatory pressure. The success of these tools will depend on how effective they are in practice and how transparent and useful the “insights” feature proves to be. As AI continues to evolve, balancing innovation with child safety remains a critical challenge for tech companies. Meta’s latest move shows a shift toward proactive safety measures, though the long-term impact will depend on implementation, accessibility, and ongoing updates. For now, parents in select regions will have a new way to guide their teens’ AI experiences—albeit with a wait and some limitations.