Washington: Social media platform Instagram has announced that it will notify parents if teen users repeatedly search terms related to suicide or self-harm. These alerts will only be sent to parents who are enrolled in Instagram’s ‘Parental Supervision’ program. Instagram says it already blocks such sensitive content from appearing in search results for teens and directs users to a helpline.
The announcement comes as Instagram’s parent company Meta faces two lawsuits related to alleged harm to children. An ongoing lawsuit in Los Angeles questions whether Meta’s platforms were intentionally designed to addict and harm minors.
At the same time, in another case in New Mexico, it is being investigated whether Meta failed to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platform. Thousands of families, districts and government entities have filed lawsuits against META and other social media companies. They allege that these companies deliberately design their platforms in such a way that they become addictive. It is also alleged that these companies do not provide adequate protection to children from content containing risks such as depression, eating disorders and suicide. Top executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have expressed disagreement with these allegations.
Under questioning by plaintiffs’ lawyers in Los Angeles, Zuckerberg said he stood by his earlier statement that available scientific research does not prove that social media harms mental health. According to the company, alerts will be sent to parents via email, text message or WhatsApp. Additionally, information will also be given on the parents’ Instagram account. The company also said that it is working on a similar system to inform parents about teenagers’ interactions with artificial intelligence (AI). According to Meta, if a teen tries to interact with the AI regarding suicide or self-harm, parents will be notified. The company said that more information in this regard will be shared in the coming months.
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