Meta's Instagram unveils new features intended to keep teens safe

Instagram is rolling out new features it thinks will make the platform safer for teenagers. CNBC's 'Squawk Box' reports. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi 

Instagram said early Tuesday that it’s launching several new features in an effort to improve teen safety in the app, like parental controls and an option to prevent people from tagging or mentioning teens.

The changes come a day before Instagram Chief Executive Adam Mosseri is set to testify before Congress for the first time. Mosseri’s appearance follows bombshell reports that showed Facebook, now Meta, and Instagram are aware of the harms their apps and services cause, including to teen mental health.

One internal Facebook presentation first reported by The Wall Street Journal said that, among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of British users and 6% of American users traced the issue to Instagram. The reports were based on thousands of pages of internal documents provided by former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen. More than 40% of Instagram’s users are 22 years old and younger, according to leaked internal documents, and Instagram has since paused plans to build a special version of the app for kids.

Mosseri could point to some of the new features to defend his company’s work to lawmakers.

Instagram will prevent users from tagging or mentioning teens that don’t follow them, for example. It will also begin to recommend other topics if a teen spends too much time on one specific interest, the company said. It will also release tools for parents and guardians next year that will let parents see and limit how much time their teens spend on Instagram and will notify parents if a teen reports another user.

Another feature, called “Take a Break” will ask users to stop using Instagram momentarily and will give users reminders to take more breaks, Instagram said. The feature, which needs to be turned on first, is rolling out in the U.S., Canada and Australia on Wednesday and to all users by early next year, Instagram said.

“After bombshell reports about Instagram’s toxic impacts, we want to hear straight from the company’s leadership why it uses powerful algorithms that push poisonous content to children driving them down rabbit holes to dark places, and what it will do to make its platform safer,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sits on a committee Mosseri will testify in front of, previously said in a statement to CNBC.

» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC

Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide.

The News with Shepard Smith is CNBC’s daily news podcast providing deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day’s most important stories. Available to listen by 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT daily beginning September 30: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/the-news-with-shepard-smith-podcast.html?__source=youtube%7Cshepsmith%7Cpodcast 
 
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: http://www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC

https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-credit-cards/ 

#CNBC
#CNBCTV