Instagram: Will Instagram send alerts to parents about teen suicide-related searches? Controversy surrounds Meta's new policy..

Meta, the parent company of social media platform Instagram, has announced that if a teen user repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm, their parents will be automatically alerted. This is the first time Meta will directly notify parents based on search activity. However, the Molly Rose Foundation, a suicide prevention organization, has called the move dangerous and hasty, expressing fears that it could worsen the situation.

According to Meta, parents and teens in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada who experience Instagram's teen accounts will be notified of these alerts starting next week. The feature will then be implemented in other parts of the world. This feature applies to families using Instagram's child supervision tools. According to the BBC, the company says that if a teen repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm in a short period of time, the system will flag it as unusual behavior and send an alert to parents via email, text message, WhatsApp, or the Instagram app. Until now, Instagram has blocked such searches and directed users to external support resources. However, this is the first time the company will actively notify parents based on analysis of search patterns.

Meta claims to provide resources.
Meta rejected the Foundation's findings, saying they misrepresent the company's efforts. The company says that alerts sent to parents will also provide expert resources to help them properly discuss difficult and sensitive topics with their children. Meta also stated that in the coming months, it is considering implementing such alerts in situations where teens discuss suicide or self-harm with Instagram's AI chatbots. The company argues that children are increasingly turning to AI for support, so monitoring is necessary there as well.

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