Instagram to send parent alerts when teens search suicide or self-harm terms

Meta says Instagram will begin rolling out alerts next week in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada to notify parents if teenagers repeatedly search for terms related to suicide or self-harm, and the company said it will collect feedback as it refines how alerts are triggered.

Instagram will begin notifying parents when their teenage children repeatedly search for terms related to suicide or self-harm, the company announced. Meta described the feature as a parental supervision tool intended to make parents aware and give them resources. The alerts are scheduled to start rolling out next week in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada. The announcement comes as the company faces legal and public scrutiny over social media’s effects on young users' mental health. Known details: - Meta said alerts will be sent when teenagers repeatedly search for suicide- or self-harm–related terms during a short period of time. - Alerts will be delivered by email, text, WhatsApp or within Instagram, according to the company. - The rollout will begin next week in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada. - Meta acknowledged parents might sometimes receive alerts that do not indicate a real cause for concern and said it will listen to feedback as it adjusts the feature. - The change is announced amid ongoing legal cases and expert commentary examining social platforms’ role in youth mental health. Summary: Meta intends the alerts to inform parents and link them to resources, with the company starting the rollout next week in four countries. The company said it will refine alert thresholds based on feedback and noted alerts may not always signal a real concern. The broader legal and regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms' effects on young people remains ongoing. Undetermined at this time.