Instagram and Facebook to get major update, will start putting time limits

Meta will add stricter limits and safety controls for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook under a settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia and US territories. The changes bring capped screen time, tighter contact rules and stronger age checks as scrutiny of social media addiction grows.Instagram, Facebook teen time limits: Meta settles addiction claims with states. (Image credit: Reuters)Meta is preparing a series of major changes to Instagram and Facebook aimed at giving teenagers tighter control over how they use the platforms, according to a report from The New York Times. The changes come as part of a settlement with 47 US states, the District of Columbia and US territories over claims that social media platforms can contribute to addiction among young users.Under the new rules, teenagers will face stricter limits on their time spent on both apps. Meta says the new features will be introduced over the next six months, while some changes, particularly those related to age verification, could take up to a year.Teenagers will be limited to two hours of Instagram and Facebook use each day by default. Parents will be able to allow additional usage through parental settings. The apps will also automatically block access between midnight and 6am.Meta will further silence notifications for teenagers during school hours, from 8am to 3pm. Users under 18 will also receive prompts while using the apps for extended periods, including after 15 consecutive minutes and again at the 60-minute and 90-minute marks. The company is also giving teenagers more control over what they see. For the first time, they will be able to switch off autoplay, meaning videos and other content will no longer automatically play as they scroll.Teenagers will also get an option to turn off personalised algorithmic feeds and view content that is not specifically selected based on their activity and interests. Meta will additionally hide like counts for young users and prevent them from accessing certain extreme makeup filters and effects designed to imitate cosmetic surgery.More protection from strangersThe changes will also focus on unwanted interactions. Meta says it will introduce stronger safeguards to stop adults from messaging teenagers or viewing their content, although the company has not yet explained exactly how these restrictions will work.Teenagers will get a new way to report harmful content, with Meta promising to respond to 90 per cent of such reports within six hours.Parents will continue to have access to tools showing how much time their children spend on the platforms, what they search for and their interactions with adults. They will also receive alerts when a child creates a new account or has an interaction that Meta considers suspicious.Another major area is age verification. Meta says it will invest further in technology designed to identify teenage users and remove accounts belonging to children under 13.The company has already introduced several protections through its Teen Accounts, which automatically place users under 18 into more restricted settings. The latest settlement is expected to push those safeguards further, changing how teenagers use Instagram and Facebook in the coming months.- EndsPublished By: Ankita GargPublished On: Aug 27, 2026 16:06 IST