Meta Platforms has introduced a new safety feature in Instagram aimed at supporting teenagers’ mental health. Parents will now be able to receive notifications if their children search in the app for information related to self-harm or suicide.
The feature works by analyzing search queries and user activity. If the system detects a potentially dangerous interest, parents are sent a notification. It also includes recommendations on how to talk to a teenager in a constructive way and where to find professional help.
Meta says particular attention was paid to personal data protection and privacy during development. The company also worked with psychologists, safety experts and parent organizations to make the tool useful and ethically sound.
The feature will roll out gradually and will be available only to families that have enabled Instagram’s Supervision parental control mode. Of course, no algorithm can replace a real conversation and trust between parents and children. But tools like this can become a kind of first signal that helps adults notice a problem in time.
