In an effort to address harassment on its platform, Instagram announced on Thursday that it is broadening the functionality of its “Limits” tool specifically aimed at teenagers. This enhancement allows teens to curb unwanted interactions by only permitting comments, messages, story replies, tags, and mentions from their “Close Friends” group. Any engagement from other accounts will be automatically muted once the feature is activated.
Initially introduced as a pilot feature in 2021, Limits was developed in response to the online harassment faced by English footballers Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho following England’s defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals. Currently, the Limits tool is available to all users and enables them to restrict interactions not only with new followers but also with long-standing followers.
The newly adjusted feature now defaults to the “Close Friends” setting for teen users, with the intent of safeguarding them against bullying and harassment. While accounts outside of a user’s “Close Friends” list can still interact, their activities won’t be visible in the feed.
Additionally, teen users have the option to limit interactions with recent followers—specifically, those who have started following them within the past week or accounts they do not follow back.
Moreover, Instagram is enhancing its “Restrict” feature, allowing users to limit interactions from specific accounts without resorting to blocking. Comments from restricted accounts will be hidden, and these accounts will be unable to tag or mention the user.
Earlier this year, Meta implemented new measures to enhance the safety of teenagers on its platforms. One significant change now prevents adults over 18 from sending messages to teens unless the teen follows them. In addition to this, in April, Meta introduced a feature aimed at protecting teens by blurring explicit content in Instagram direct messages.
These initiatives signify Meta’s commitment to improving teen safety amid growing concerns and scrutiny. In October, more than 40 U.S. states filed legal action against Meta, accusing the company of creating product designs that negatively affect the mental health of young users. Adding to its challenges, the European Union launched an investigation earlier this month into the potentially addictive nature of Facebook and Instagram and the adverse impact these platforms may have on minors’ mental well-being.
