Meta is adding more parental controls for teen AI use

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has announced new parental controls for managing teen AI use on its platforms. The controls will allow parents to stop their children from speaking with AI chatbots entirely or block access to specific characters they don't approve of. However, Meta's own AI assistant will remain available to offer helpful information and educational opportunities with age-appropriate protections. The new controls will also provide parents with some level of insight into the topics their teens are discussing with AI characters, which Meta hopes will enable "thoughtful conversations" about these interactions. While these updates are aimed at bringing "peace of mind" to parents, the controls will not be available until early next year and will be initially limited to Instagram and only for English-speaking users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. This move by Meta comes as the company faces growing scrutiny over the potential impact of AI chatbots on minors, particularly after reports of concerning romantic interactions. The new parental controls are one of the first major safety updates Meta has made to its AI chatbots since deploying them across its platforms.