Instagram has announced a new safety feature that will alert parents if their teenager repeatedly searches for content related to suicide or self-harm within a short period of time.
The platform said parents who are enrolled in its optional supervision settings will begin receiving alerts if their child attempts to access such sensitive material. The move comes as governments around the world increase pressure on social media companies to strengthen child protection measures online.
The announcement follows recent regulatory discussions in several countries. Australia introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16 in December, while the United Kingdom said in January it is considering stricter online safety rules. Spain, Greece, and Slovenia have also signaled plans to review youth access to social platforms.
Owned by Meta Platforms Inc., Instagram said the alerts build on its existing policies, which already block searches promoting or glorifying suicide and self-harm and redirect users to professional support resources.
The new notification system will roll out next week in the United States, Britain, Australia, and Canada for families who have enabled parental supervision.
Instagram also stated its “teen accounts” feature for users under 16, which requires parental permission to change key settings. Parents can activate additional monitoring tools, provided their teenager agrees.
The company said the update is part of broader efforts to create a safer digital environment for young users.
France to ban social media for children under 15
Following Australia’s lead, France is about to ban social media use among children under 15 after France’s lawmakers passed legislation on Tuesday. The bill, supported by President Emmanuel Macron, is intended to protect young people against the dangers of spending too much time in front of the screen and the possible harms associated with social media.
France’s National Assembly passed the legislation in an overnight vote, 130 to 21, clear for it to go to the Senate for further consideration before becoming law. Macron hailed the vote on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) as a “major step” in safeguarding the mental and emotional state of young people in France.
The proposed law also addresses mobile phone use in high schools which mirrors growing concerns for the effects on development of children due to screen time and addictive algorithms.
Authorities anticipate that they will be able to enforce the rules from the new school year in September. Social media platforms will be asked to disable accounts for underage users by December 31.
France would then become the second country after Australia to put age-based restrictions on social media. The European Commission has backed France’s decision to carry out the ban, but emphasised that it should be fair based on overall EU regulations.
However, legislation has been criticised. Opponents have called it “digital paternalism.” They assert social media platforms should be held accountable for their ability to spread harmful content rather than outright restrictions on children.
Also read: Is Pakistan planning social media ban for under 16?
