Restrictions on Instagram and Facebook: Children Won't Be Able to Use Social Media All Day

Measures are being put in place to tighten controls on children's social media usage. New rules, such as time limits and muting notifications during school hours, are being introduced for children.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to a settlement worth approximately $16.68 billion to resolve lawsuits concerning child safety. Twenty-nine US states had alleged that Meta designed its platforms in a way that encouraged excessive use and addiction among children. Questions were also raised regarding the company's handling of data belonging to minors. Meta has denied the allegations and did not admit to any wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlement.

Under this agreement, Meta must implement several new safety features for users under the age of 18 on Facebook and Instagram. These include usage time limits, blocking the apps at night, muting notifications during school hours, and introducing parental controls.

How many hours can Facebook and Instagram be used?

Under the new rules, users under 18 will have a default daily limit of two hours for Facebook and Instagram. Notably, usage of the two apps will not be counted separately; the combined time spent on Facebook and Instagram will count towards the two-hour limit. Parental permission will be required to remove or alter this limit.

When will the apps be blocked?

A "night mode" will be implemented for teenagers between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM. During this period, they will be unable to view content or post on Facebook and Instagram. The aim is to reduce late-night social media usage.

Will notifications be muted too?

To keep children's attention away from social media during school hours, notifications will be muted by default between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. However, essential direct messages and account security alerts will still be delivered. Break reminders every 15 minutes

Meta will also remind teenagers who use social media continuously to take a break. They will be shown a prompt to take a break after every 15 minutes of continuous usage. Additionally, reminders will be issued upon completing 60 and 90 minutes of usage.