Meta defends teen safety efforts amid lawsuits over youth mental health
Social media group Meta has defended its record on protecting teenagers and supporting parents, saying lawsuits against the company present a misleading picture of its work on youth safety.
Meta said claims made in recent legal actions selectively cite internal documents and overlook more than a decade of investment in tools, features and partnerships designed to keep teens safe and give parents greater control.
The company said it has rolled out a series of protections over time. These include suicide prevention tools introduced in 2017, faster access to support resources added in 2020, and restrictions in 2021 that prevent adults from starting private chats with teens they are not connected to on Instagram and Messenger. That same year, teen accounts were set to private by default.
In 2023, Meta said it began encouraging teens to take breaks from social media and allowed them to set daily time limits. It launched Instagram Teen Accounts in 2024 and expanded them to Facebook and Messenger in 2025. These accounts include added safety features in direct messages and content controls based on age-appropriate ratings, with parental permission required to opt out.
Meta said parents can also use supervision tools to set time limits, including limits as short as 15 minutes a day, block app use at specific times and see who their teens are messaging.
The company said it works closely with external organisations and law enforcement. It highlighted support for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, collaboration with Childhelp on a safety curriculum for US middle school students, and its role as a founding member of programmes run by the Tech Coalition and the Mental Health Coalition.
Meta said it received more than 9,000 emergency requests from US authorities in 2024 and responded on average within 67 minutes, with faster handling for cases involving child safety or suicide risk.
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The company also pointed to research suggesting social media can have benefits for teens. It cited data from the US Department of Health and Human Services showing a decline in reported major depressive episodes and serious suicidal thoughts among 12 to 17-year-olds between 2021 and 2024.
Meta said discussions about teen mental health should take into account the full range of scientific evidence and contributing factors. It added that it will defend itself in court against what it described as misleading claims and will continue improving its products to prioritise teen safety and support parents.The Recap
- Meta defended its record on teen safety and parental tools.
- Over 9,000 emergency requests resolved within 67 minutes average.
- Meta will defend itself in court and continue product improvements.
