Key Takeaways
- Parents can block teens from chatting with specific AI characters or disable all AI chats
- New controls will show parents what topics teens discuss with AI
- Features launch early next year amid growing AI safety concerns
Instagram is introducing parental controls that will let parents prevent their teenagers from chatting with the platform’s AI characters. Meta announced these safety features on Friday, responding to mounting concerns about AI’s impact on youth mental health.
Parents will have two options: completely turn off teens’ access to individual AI chats or block access to specific characters only. The app will also provide parents with information about the topics their children are discussing with AI characters. These controls are currently in development and will roll out to users early next year.
Growing Pressure on Tech Companies
The move comes as Meta and the broader tech industry face increasing criticism from parents and lawmakers about insufficient child protection measures online. Recent reports have highlighted cases where people developed unhealthy dependencies on AI chatbots for emotional support.
Some individuals have experienced emotional distress and social isolation after forming close relationships with chatbots like ChatGPT. The situation has escalated to multiple lawsuits against AI companies.
Legal Actions and Safety Investigations
Character.AI, another popular AI chat app, faces lawsuits alleging the platform contributed to self-harm and suicide among teenagers. In August, OpenAI was sued over claims that ChatGPT played a role in the suicide of 16-year-old Adam Raine.
An April Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that Meta’s chatbot and other AI systems on its platforms engaged in sexual conversations with accounts identifying as minors.
Existing Safety Measures
Meta states its AI characters “are designed not to engage” in conversations with teens about “self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating” or topics that “encourage, promote or enable” those subjects. Currently, teens can only chat with approved AI characters focused on educational and sports content.
Instagram’s latest parental controls build on recent teen safety updates. Earlier this week, the platform aligned its “Teen Accounts” settings with PG-13 ratings, blocking content featuring strong language or promoting harmful behaviors. OpenAI similarly introduced parental controls for ChatGPT in late September, reducing exposure to graphic content and inappropriate roleplay scenarios.
