Meta Temporarily Halts Teens’ Access to AI Characters
Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp, announced in a blog post on Friday that it will temporarily restrict teenagers’ access to its artificial intelligence (AI) characters. Starting in the “coming weeks,” teens will no longer be able to interact with these AI characters until an updated experience is ready.
This restriction applies not only to users who have provided Meta with a birthday indicating they are minors but also to individuals who claim to be adults but are suspected of being teens based on Meta’s age prediction technology.
Despite this change, teens will still have access to Meta’s AI assistant; the limitation is specific to the AI characters.
The move comes amid increasing scrutiny of tech companies over their impact on children’s well-being. Notably, Meta, along with TikTok and Google’s YouTube, is scheduled to stand trial next week in Los Angeles regarding the harms their apps may cause to children.
Meta’s decision reflects growing efforts by social media companies to update their platforms to better protect younger users while continuing to innovate in AI technologies.
https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/2026/01/23/meta-teens-ai/
