Meta is releasing additional tools for parents and guardians who want to know more about how their children are interacting with apps like Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook.
Messenger for Kids already includes a lot of similar features, but this latest update is for parents of teens who use Messenger.
One of the new features offers parents to view the amount of time their teen is spending on Messenger and the information on their teen’s message settings. However, Meta noted that parents will be unable to view the content of their child’s messages.
The new set of supervision tools will also let parents view and receive updates regarding changes to their teen’s Messenger contacts list, and also their privacy and safety settings.
They’ll also get notified if their teen reports someone via the app, though only if they opt to share such information.
Additionally, parents can also see who is allowed to message their child (friends, friends of friends, or no one), and also view who can see their teen’s Messenger stories, and receive a notification if the setting changes.
The Parental Supervision feature for Messenger is available in the U.S., U.K., and Canada now, with more countries promised access in the coming months.
New features for Parental Supervision on Instagram include ways to encourage teens to allow their parents to supervise their account “as an extra layer of support.”
Besides seeing which accounts their teen follows and is followed by, parents can now see how many friends their teen has in common with those accounts, which Meta said could pave the way for offline conversations regarding those connections.
Meta is also launching new ways to protect people on Instagram from unwanted interactions via Direct Messages.
It means that before a person can message someone who doesn’t follow them, they now have to send a text-only invitation to get their permission to communicate.
Instagram already shows a safety notice when it detects a suspicious adult messaging a teen, and is also supposed to prevent people over 19 years old from sending private messages to teens who don’t follow them.
Meta said the updates are “designed to help teens feel in control of their online experiences and help parents feel equipped to support their teens,” adding that it plans to add more safety features over time.
If you’re a parent or guardian interested in other supervision software for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android, Digital Trends has you covered.
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