GoKawiilMeta is giving parents more insight into how their teens use AI on its platforms. The company said Thursday that parents can learn what topics their children are asking AI about over the previous week on Facebook, Messenger or Instagram -- apps owned by the Mark Zuckerberg-run company.
While the move is intended to support the safety of children on popular social platforms, experts said it's no substitute for good content moderation and safe design, and they warn it could have unintended consequences by reducing teens' privacy.
The new feature is called AI Insights and is now available for parents who are supervising Teen Accounts in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Brazil. Meta will roll out AI Insights globally in the coming weeks. Teen Accounts are specially designed experiences for teens on the platforms with stricter default privacy and content settings.
Insights follows on the heels of other safeguards Meta introduced for parents and kids regarding their use of AI. In October, the company said parents could stop kids from interacting with chatbot characters or block specific characters. A character is a fictional being created by AI.
Zuckerberg and his company have been raked over the coals over the past few years when it comes to the mental health of children. Last month, Meta was ordered to pay $375 million after being found liable in a child exploitation case and was also found liable in a California case in which a woman alleged Instagram and YouTube were designed to be addictive to children.
A representative for Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
More than 40 US states filed lawsuits against Meta in 2023, alleging that the company is trying to addict children to its apps and thus contributing to a youth mental health crisis.
How to use Insights
If parents are using supervision for their children on Facebook, Messenger or Instagram, they will now see a tab labeled "Insights," both in the apps themselves and on the internet.
(Parents can enable supervision in Meta's Family Center -- the process is detailed here -- for their kids ages 13 to 17 who are using Teen Accounts.)
... continue reading