Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has launched a new set of parental control tools, according to the Verge.
Meta users needs to be at least 13 years old, according to company policy. However, teens have been targeted by scammers and predators since the app has existed. Parental controls were minimal in the beginning, relying on parents either knowing their child’s password or monitoring their home network.
The new suite of of tools enable parents to see their children’s contacts, whether on Messenger or Instagram. It also notifies parents if your teenager blocks contacts. Meta will also be computing how many friends in common teens have with who they’re messaging, preventing bad actors from worming their way into a child’s social circle.
Facebook already developed a messaging app for children under 13, called Messenger Kids. Congress had previously scolded Facebook to fix problems in their Messenger Kids application. Groups have criticized Facebook for data collection on young minors.
Google and Apple, the two companies controlling the lion’s share of smartphone access, have also been continuously developing new parental control measures. Chief among them is the ability to limit screen time. Apple will be also be releasing a feature to block unwanted pictures for children.
Meta has been making large strides in data transparency and parental controls since its nadir. Barron’s reports that Meta’s stock price has been rising 130% since the beginning of the year, showing that the Market has confidence in Meta’s direction.
