Meta Platforms-owned Instagram announced it will begin notifying parents if their teenager repeatedly searches for content related to suicide or self-harm within a short period.
The move comes amid growing international pressure on governments to tighten protections for minors online, following Australia’s decision to ban social media use for children under 16. Similar restrictions are being considered in the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, and Slovenia.
How the New Alert System Works
Instagram said it will notify parents who have signed up for the platform’s optional supervision tools if their teen attempts to access suicide- or self-harm-related content multiple times.
“These alerts build on our existing work to help protect teens from potentially harmful content on Instagram,” the company said in a statement, adding that it already blocks searches promoting or glorifying suicide and redirects users to support resources.
The alert feature will begin rolling out next week in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada for families enrolled in the supervision setting.
Rising Scrutiny of Online Platforms
Governments worldwide are intensifying efforts to safeguard children from harmful digital content, especially following controversies involving AI tools such as Grok, which faced criticism for generating non-consensual sexualised images.
In Britain, new measures aimed at restricting children’s access to online pornography have also sparked debate over privacy and free speech concerns.
Instagram’s “teen accounts” already require parental permission for users under 16 to change certain settings, while parents can opt into additional monitoring features with their child’s consent.
The latest move reflects mounting regulatory and public pressure on social media companies to take stronger action to protect young users.
