Instagram to alert parents on teen suicide searches as UK weighs social media ban - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNTkQ2djVzWFVVeXZDcDVEMHZGaFpPMldWNDNTajJNRkVmb2RkTTNYMnhYcWc3S1F5b24xSXF4VzlSZHNRMHFMeWRaS21BUTdCVlNTTmZ1TWtnS3kxUzI3WkFOSzYyOE5VSEp2c3JSNjVjcjlFeHUxZ282dHpGd2xQcmtTa2FhNGFoemtyNk1DYm9YYVJpWm9BcUxHTW9LbXlaY01oV2ZNN3BadTJwSlRUQVVYNHNKWjZ5Sy1RRnRRRGI?oc=5" target="_blank">Instagram to alert parents on teen suicide searches as UK weighs social media ban</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

Instagram will notify parents about teenagers searching for terms related to suicide. This move comes amid a global push for greater online child protection, following Australia's ban on social media for under-16s in December. The UK government stated in January it was considering similar restrictions, with Spain, Greece, and Slovenia also exploring limitations.

Meta-owned Instagram will soon alert parents if their teenage child uses the app to search for content related to suicide or self-harm, the technology company's latest effort to shore up safety features as it faces heat over how social media impacts young people. The new safeguard will initially roll out in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada before being deployed in other regions later this year, according to Meta.

Instagram will start alerting parents if their teen repeatedly tries to search for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period of time, the company announced on Thursday. The alerts are rolling out in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada next week, and will become available in other regions later this year.

Instagram said it would notify parents if their teenager repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period, as pressure grows for governments to follow Australia's ban on the use of social media for under 16s. Britain said in January it was considering restrictions to protect children online, after Australia's move in December. Spain, Greece, and Slovenia have in recent weeks said they are also looking at limiting access.

Instagram announced it will begin notifying parents if their teens repeatedly search for suicide or self-harm-related terms, but only if the parents are part of Instagram's parental supervision program. The platform already blocks such content from search results for teen accounts and instead provides links to helplines. This new feature is part of Meta’s broader efforts to address growing concerns over children's mental health on social media, as the company faces legal challenges in California and New Mexico. These lawsuits accuse Meta of deliberately designing addictive platforms and failing to protect minors from harmful and exploitative content.