Meta gives parents visibility into teens’ AI use as scrutiny grows

Meta is expanding parental controls around its AI tools, giving parents new visibility into how teenagers are interacting with AI across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.

The move comes as platforms face growing scrutiny over how younger users engage with generative AI, particularly around safety, wellbeing and misinformation.

Under the update, parents using supervision tools will be able to see the topics their teen has asked Meta AI about over the past seven days, via a new Insights tab rolling out across key markets including Australia.

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Topics will be grouped into broad categories such as school, entertainment, lifestyle and health, giving parents a high-level view of how AI is being used without exposing full conversations.

Meta said the feature is designed to strike a balance between transparency and privacy, as teens increasingly turn to AI tools for advice, information and everyday queries.

The update builds on a broader set of safeguards already in place for teen accounts, including restrictions on age-inappropriate responses and interventions for sensitive topics.

The company also confirmed it is developing proactive alerts to notify parents if teens attempt to engage in conversations related to suicide or self-harm, an area of growing concern as AI tools become more embedded in daily life.

Beyond product changes, Meta is also leaning into education and oversight.

The company has introduced a new AI Wellbeing Expert Council, bringing together specialists in youth safety, mental health and responsible AI to guide the development of its products.

It has also rolled out conversation prompts, developed with external experts, to help parents navigate what can often be difficult discussions about AI use.