Statement on Meta’s New Teen Safety Features

SAN FRANCISCO, September 17, 2024 — Today, Meta announced new restrictions and parental controls for teen accounts, most notably a "teen accounts" feature that will automatically make any teen account private to ensure that they can be messaged, tagged or mentioned only by people they already follow.

In response, Common Sense Media Founder and CEO, James P. Steyer, issued the following statement:

"Private accounts for teens, parental controls, and stopping overnight notifications are long overdue features that Meta should have offered years ago to keep young people safe online. We have advocated for policies like these in state and federal legislation, including in places like New York and California.

"But this transparently timed announcement from Meta, the day before a key congressional committee is set to mark up social media legislation, is yet another attempt to make a splashy announcement when the company is feeling the heat. Clearly, they have always had these capabilities to protect kids and are only acting when they are under pressure from lawmakers and advocates.

"Our kids can't keep waiting for these companies to do the right thing. And we cannot allow them to decide when to have strong protections, or when to remove them. We need Congress to pass federal protections now."

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