Meta puts teen AI chats on pause to boost safety
Meta is hitting pause on AI characters for teens across its apps, aiming to roll out safer, more age-appropriate versions soon.
If your account says you're a teen—or Meta's tools think so—you'll notice the change until the new features arrive in a few weeks.
What's changing for teens and parents?
The upcoming AI characters will stick to safe topics like school, sports, and hobbies.
Parents get more control too: they can turn off one-on-one chats, block certain AIs, check in on their kid's interactions, or set daily limits (as short as 15 minutes).
The regular Meta AI assistant is still around but keeps things PG-13 by default.
Why the sudden move?
Meta wants these AIs to avoid serious topics like self-harm or eating disorders—something parents have been pushing for.
This update also comes days before a New Mexico case about alleged sexual exploitation of kids, and ahead of a separate trial accusing Meta of causing social-media addiction in which Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.
Teens love these bots—so Meta's taking extra care
Meta says it is prioritizing teens' safety as it develops AI companions.
Meta says it's working to balance fun and safety for teens.