Instagram to Add Parental Controls for Teen AI Chats
Meta will soon let parents block teenagers from chatting one-on-one with AI characters on Instagram.
The new controls will begin rolling out in early 2026 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Parents will be able to:
• Turn off direct AI chats for users under 18
• Block certain AI bots completely
• See the general topics teens discuss with AI — without reading messages word for word
The changes come after reports that some AI chatbots engaged teens in conversations that were flirtatious or risky. The company said those interactions should not have happened.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said the goal is to give parents “peace of mind” while still allowing safe AI tools on the platform.
Meta will also set teen accounts to a default “PG-13” safety rating to limit mature responses from AI assistants.
These updates are part of a wider push as tech firms face growing pressure to protect young users from AI-generated content.
Experts say the controls are progress — but they want to see how well they work in real life once launched.
