Reel-ing it in: Meta is paying influencers to promote teen accounts
Tech Transparency Project’s report shows whenever governments mull platform regulations, company recruits influencers to promote its safety features In July 2025, Meta gathered parenting influencers from all over Australia at a waterfront venue overlooking the Sydney Opera House. It was a camping-themed event and in many ways was like any other influencer affair. There were Instagram-branded…
Meta, the social media giant headquartered in Silicon Valley, recently held an event in Australia to promote its safety features for teen users. The company gathered parenting influencers from across the country for a camping-themed gathering near the Sydney Opera House. The event featured Instagram-branded tents, a step-and-repeat backdrop, custom totes, and snacks.
However, the gathering was not merely for photo opportunities. Meta was preparing for a new law that would ban children under 16 from using social media platforms in Australia. The company's representatives informed the influencers that blanket bans on teen social media use were ineffective and encouraged them to share the message with their followers that Meta already had tools to help parents keep teens safe.
Since 2024, Meta has enlisted an army of influencers to promote its safety tools for teens. The Tech Transparency Project, a digital advocacy group, found that Meta recruited influencers through events and sponsored their posts to promote parental and other safety controls. These safety features include accounts for users aged 13 to 17, which have more restrictions than regular accounts.
Meta's reliance on influencers to combat teen bans suggests the company acknowledges it can't fight these measures, which could cost it millions of users. Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, noted that Meta needs to use influencers to spread its message because people don't trust the company. The brand has become a problem, Paul said.
Meta responded to the report by emphasizing its commitment to building strong protections for teens and effective controls for parents. The spokesperson added that blanket bans don't keep young people safe and that Meta will continue supporting families by making their safety features more visible. Australia became the first country to ban teens under 16 from using social media apps in November 2024, with the law taking effect in December 2025.
Meta had already implemented rules that barred kids younger than 13 from opening accounts. Concern over teen use of social media has been growing since at least 2021, when whistleblowers shared internal Meta documents showing the company was aware of harmful content but did not take steps to mitigate it. In the US, several states have sued Meta, accusing the company of intentionally making its platform addictive to younger users.
Meta has introduced teen accounts with restrictions, such as limits on messaging and more sensitive content filters. However, concerns remain. Since the ban, Meta has taken down 756,000 accounts it suspected belonged to teens. The move to restrict or ban teens from using social media has gained momentum worldwide, with countries like Indonesia, India, and Brazil implementing similar policies.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
