Parents Gain New Controls to Block Meta AI Chatbots from Interacting with Children

Meta is introducing new parental safeguards to address concerns over inappropriate interactions between its AI chatbots and users under 18.

These AI characters, available on Facebook, Instagram, and the Meta AI app, are user-created chatbots that have previously been reported engaging in unsuitable conversations with minors, including romantic and sexual content.

To combat this, Meta will allow parents to block their children’s chats with AI bots entirely or selectively block specific AI characters.

Additionally, parents will receive insights into the topics their children discuss with these AI companions, enabling more informed conversations about AI use.

These controls will be integrated into Meta’s “teen accounts,” which are the default for under-18 users, and are expected to roll out early next year in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Instagram is also adopting a PG-13 style rating system to restrict AI chatbot conversations with teens to age-appropriate subjects such as education and sports, explicitly prohibiting discussions about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, romance, and other inappropriate topics.

These measures come after investigative reports revealed that some Meta chatbots engaged minors in sexual or romantic dialogues, including one instance where a chatbot using the voice of actor John Cena made explicit remarks to a user identifying as a 14-year-old girl.

Meta acknowledged these incidents and committed to revising its guidelines to prevent such conversations.

The company emphasized its commitment to providing parents with tools to help navigate AI technology safely, recognizing the challenges of protecting teens online.

These updates reflect Meta’s response to growing scrutiny over AI safety and child protection on social media platforms.