Meta will alert supervising parents when a teen repeatedly searches for self-harm on Facebook or chats worryingly with Meta AI. Here is what parents should know.
Meta will now send an alert to parents if their teen repeatedly searches for suicide or self-harm content on Facebook. It will also alert them if the teen has a chat with Meta AI that suggests a risk. Instagram got the same kind of alert earlier this year.
The alerts cover parents who supervise a teen's Facebook account, and chats with Meta AI, the company's AI assistant. A search alert is triggered when a teen searches for this content "repeatedly" within a short period of time.
Parents get a text, email or WhatsApp message, plus a push notification in their own app. The alert does not show the search terms or what was said in the AI chat. It suggests that the parent talk with the teen and includes help line resources.
Meta will not say exactly what sets off an alert. It has said it chose a threshold of a few searches in a short time. It said it wanted to err on the side of caution while avoiding unnecessary alerts. The material does not say how soon the update reaches every account.
The feature is part of Meta's push to move teens into parent-supervised teen accounts. These give parents more control over privacy settings. They also limit sensitive content and contact with adults.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
If you supervise a teen's Meta account, decide now how you would start a calm conversation if an alert arrives.
Running a laptop with the lid closed at your desk has small perks and small risks, and a few settings and a stand can cover most of them.
Read more: Laptop lid open or closed at your desk? Mostly a style choiceNetflix's top plan is now $26.99 a month, while its 2007 streaming only worked on a Windows PC with Internet Explorer. Here is what each plan gets you.
Read more: Netflix now costs up to $26.99 a month, and in 2007 it only ran on one kind of PCThe IRS says it first contacts people by mail and never calls to demand instant payment, so a rushed message claiming to be the IRS is a warning sign.
Read more: IRS Lists How to Spot Tax Scams and Protect Your Information
