Meta’s new teen restrictions will only apply to users in the US for now

Meta is introducing new restrictions on U.S. teens who use Facebook and Instagram. The company faces potential fines of up to $18 billion in connection with a series of lawsuits alleging social media sites endanger children. For now, only U.S. users will be affected by these measures. The new rules include a default two-hour-per-day time limit across both platforms, which requires parental approval to override.

During specific hours, such as between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., teens will have silenced notifications, with the exception of direct messages and safety-related alerts. Meta will also offer a non-personalized feed, disable autoplay, and hide like and reaction counts as default options. Additionally, the company will enhance its age verification tools to catch underage users and those who misrepresent their age as adults.

The U.S. rollout comes as other countries, including Britain, consider stricter rules for children and teens on social media platforms.