Child safety features on major social media platforms may not protect young users as effectively as advertised, according to a study by researchers from New York University and Northeastern University cited by The New York Times. The report found that several safety tools on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube were missing, ineffective, easy to bypass, or difficult to find. The New York Times independently replicated many of the findings.

Among the issues identified, Snapchat allowed adults to send friend requests to teenagers by searching their usernames, while Instagram suggested unknown adult accounts for teen users to follow. Researchers also found that TikTok continued to recommend search terms related to eating disorders despite the platform’s pledge to curb such content. Time-limit reminders on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok could also be easily ignored or disabled.

The companies defended their safety measures, saying they continue to improve protections for younger users. However, researchers said the findings expose a gap between public claims and real-world experience, warning that many parents may be relying on tools that do not work as intended. The report comes as social media companies face mounting legal scrutiny and growing pressure from governments over child safety online.