Instagram has announced a new safety feature designed to help protect teenagers from self-harm and suicide-related risks by notifying parents when their children repeatedly search for concerning terms.
The social media platform said Thursday that alerts will be sent to parents enrolled in Instagram’s parental supervision program if their teen frequently searches for clearly suicide- or self-harm-related keywords. The notifications are intended to prompt conversations between parents and children and encourage early intervention.
Instagram stated that it already restricts harmful content from appearing in teen search results and instead directs users to crisis helplines and mental health resources. The new alert system expands those efforts by adding a layer of parental awareness.
The move comes as Meta, Instagram’s parent company, faces mounting legal scrutiny over the impact of its platforms on young users. The company is currently involved in two major court cases in the United States concerning alleged harm to minors.
A trial underway in Los Angeles is examining whether Meta’s platforms intentionally expose children to addictive design features and harmful content. Meanwhile, a separate case in New Mexico is investigating claims that the company failed to adequately protect children from sexual exploitation.
Meta is also facing thousands of lawsuits filed by families, school districts, and government entities. Plaintiffs allege that the company and other social media firms deliberately design their platforms to encourage addiction and do not do enough to shield young users from content linked to depression, eating disorders, and suicide.
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