Meta is preparing time limits, nighttime restrictions, and strict age verification for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook

Meta is preparing significant changes for teenagers who use Instagram and Facebook, following the agreement reached on August 26 with authorities from more than 40 U.S. states. The measures aim to limit the time spent on the platforms and protect users between the ages of 13 and 17.

The company intends to introduce a default limit of two hours of daily use. The applications would be inaccessible between midnight and 06:00, and notifications would be turned off during school hours. Teenagers could also benefit from hiding the number of likes, disabling cosmetic filters, controlling autoplay, and accessing a feed of content that is not algorithmically personalized. A large part of the measures could be implemented in approximately six months. However, age-verification systems could take up to a year. Meta will analyze indicators such as the contact network, followed accounts, and messages associated with the birthday to identify users’ actual age.