Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

On Thursday, Meta announced that Instagram will begin warning parents if their child under the age of 16 frequently searches for images related to suicide or self-harm, AzerNEWS reports.

Parents who use Instagram’s parental supervision tools may receive these alerts. According to the company, the new feature is intended to strengthen existing safety measures designed to protect teenagers from potentially harmful content. Instagram emphasizes that it maintains a strict policy prohibiting the promotion or glorification of suicide and self-harm, as reported by NU.nl.

Currently, the platform blocks such search queries and redirects users to support resources, including helplines and mental health organizations. The new alert system is meant to encourage earlier parental involvement and open conversations between parents and teens about online safety and emotional well-being.

Starting next week, users in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada will gain access to the alerts feature. The rollout is expected to expand to other European countries at a later stage.

At the same time, governments are facing growing pressure to introduce stricter regulations on young people’s use of social media, sometimes referred to as an “Australian ban” on access for those under 16. Countries such as France, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are developing plans to limit minors’ access to certain platforms.

Experts note that while technological safeguards are important, open communication within families and improved digital literacy may ultimately play an even greater role in protecting teenagers online.