US-based Meta - the tech company behind Facebook and Instagram, among others - announced yesterday that users under the age of 16 will no longer be able to use the livestream feature without parental permission, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Under updates to the Teen Accounts feature on Instagram, users younger than 16 will also no longer be able to disable the "automatic blurring" feature in private messages, Meta said in a statement.

The Teen Accounts feature will be expanded to Facebook and Messenger, it added.

The updates will first be tested in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia in the coming months.

Instagram introduced the Teen Accounts feature last September, aimed at limiting the use of the platform by minors and teenagers and enhancing safety measures.

The moves come amid a push in many countries to limit or ban social media use under a certain age, with research pointing to the dangers of social media use by young minds.

- Bernama

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