Meta enhances teen accounts safety

Meta has launched its enhanced Teen Accounts in the Philippines, introducing built-in safety features across Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram to create a safer online experience for users aged 13 to 17.

Unveiled during the Screen Smart Philippines event, the update automatically enables private accounts, stricter messaging controls, audience restrictions, daily screen time reminders, and Sleep Mode, which silences notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Users below 16 years old will need parental permission to relax any of the default safety settings.

“Teens should be safe online across all the apps they use and be free to participate in the digital world,” said Meta Philippines head of Public Policy Gio Tingson, adding that the company is embedding protections by default to give parents greater peace of mind.

Meta also consolidated parental supervision tools for Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Meta Horizon into its Family Center, allowing parents to manage their children’s safety settings from a single platform.