Parents and teens say Meta's new safety limits 'don't go far enough'

Meta this week said it would set a daily two-hour time limit for young users, hide the number of likes a post receives, remove autoplay on videos, mute push notifications during school hours and ban extreme make-up filters. The company also announced changes to its age-verification process and parental controls, and agreed to appoint an independent auditor to check that the measures are implemented and maintained.

The changes come from the company's settlement with US states in a lawsuit over social media's effects on children.

Parents who spoke to the BBC welcomed the moves but remain skeptical. They described feeling stuck — unable to cut their children off from social media, yet unable to protect them from the harms they believe it causes — and said they are waiting to see how much of a difference the new rules will make.

Elizabeth Cardner, a mother of two girls in Houston, Texas, said the changes would "save a few arguments at home, but it doesn't go far enough."

Her 14-year-old daughter, Paige, said she and her sister approve of hiding likes and restricting filters, and expect the changes to bring "more real-life scenarios" and less "fake content" to the platforms. But she predicted the gains would be short-lived "since AI is evolving." People "will find new ways to have fake filters, and correct certain parts of their videos or pictures," she said, adding that it "will help until people use other resources to try and find new ways to do that."

Why This Matters

The $18bn settlement is a significant state action against a major social media company, making these rules a test case for how teen safety is regulated.
The changes affect millions of young users across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp and may shape expectations for rival platforms.
Skepticism from parents and teens about enforcement raises the stakes: if the measures do not hold up, pressure for stricter regulation is likely to grow.

Background

Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, has faced years of scrutiny from lawmakers, parents and public health researchers over how its platforms affect teenagers' mental health. Concerns have centred on design features such as endless feeds, visible like counts and notifications that keep users engaged. The settlement resolves litigation brought by US states and commits Meta to specific design changes and independent oversight, though questions remain about how such commitments are enforced in practice.

Key Perspectives

Parents: Many welcome the acknowledgment of harm but feel caught between keeping their children off the platforms and letting them participate in social life. Those who spoke to the BBC said the measures do not go far enough.

Teens: Some support the specific changes — hiding likes and restricting filters — but expect users to find workarounds as AI tools for altering photos and videos become more sophisticated.

Critics/Skeptics: Families quoted by the BBC questioned the long-term impact. One teen predicted the benefits would be temporary, as people find new ways to create fake filters and edit content.

What to Watch

Whether the independent auditor reports meaningful compliance with the time limits, like-count changes and filter bans.
How quickly young users adapt — the settlement's real-world effect depends on whether the measures hold up in practice.
Whether the settlement prompts similar actions from other states or federal lawmakers targeting social media companies.

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