Meta's Instagram Expands 'Limits' Feature Amid Teen Safety Criticism — TradingView News

In response to growing criticism of insufficient safeguards for adolescents, Meta Platforms Inc. META Instagram expands its “Boundaries” feature to improve user protection against online harassment.

What happened: Instagram's “Limits” feature, originally created to help creators manage harassment campaigns, is now available to all users, The Verge reports.

This feature allows users to mute comments and direct messages from all accounts except those on their Close Friends list. It allows users who are not in your close friends list to continue interacting with your posts. However, when the “Boundaries” feature is enabled, these interactions will be hidden from your view. Hidden accounts will be unaware that their content is hidden. You can always choose to view them if you wish.

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The “Limits” feature can be activated for up to four weeks at a time, with the option to extend it. It can be enabled via the “Limited Interactions” option in the user profile settings.

Instagram's decision to expand the Limits feature comes amid increased scrutiny from the US government over the safety of its young users.

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Earlier this year, Meta introduced a feature that prevents adults from sending messages to minors by default on Instagram and Facebook and took steps to hide content related to suicide and eating disorders from teens on Twitter. two platforms.

Why is this important: Instagram's decision to expand the 'limits' feature follows a series of actions taken by Meta to address concerns about child safety on its platforms.

In January, Meta strengthened privacy controls and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified about child safety online.

However, in February, Meta came under fire again for child exploitation through subscription tools on Facebook and Instagram. It took action in April against sextortion of teenage users.

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