Social media giant, Instagram, which is owned by Meta (META.O), has announced that it will be testing new features to protect teenagers from harmful content and potential scammers. The decision comes after growing concerns over the addictive nature of its apps and the associated mental health issues among young people. To address these issues, Meta has revealed that Instagram will be testing a protection feature for its direct messages. The feature will use machine learning to analyze whether an image sent through the service contains nudity.
The feature will be turned on by default for users under 18, and adults will be notified and encouraged to activate it. According to Meta, the images will be analyzed on the device itself, which will enable the nudity protection to work for end-to-end encrypted chats, where Meta won’t have access to the images unless they are reported to the company.
While direct messages on Instagram are not encrypted, unlike Meta’s Messenger and WhatsApp apps, the company has confirmed that it is planning to roll out encryption for the service. Meta has also announced that it is developing technology to help identify accounts that might be potentially engaging in sextortion scams. Additionally, it is testing new pop-up messages for users who might have interacted with such accounts.
In addition to this, Instagram has already hidden more content from teens on Facebook and Instagram, making it more difficult for them to come across sensitive content such as suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. However, the social media giant still faces mounting pressure in the United States and Europe over allegations that its apps are addictive and fuel mental health issues among young people.
The attorneys general of 33 U.S. states, including California and New York, sued the company in October, accusing it of repeatedly misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms. The European Commission has also sought information on how Meta protects children from illegal and harmful content. In response, Meta is now taking action to address these concerns and safeguard its younger users.
