In its continued effort to make social media a safer space for younger users, Meta has announced a new wave of safety features targeting teen accounts on Instagram, with plans to potentially expand them to Facebook Messenger in the future.

According to a detailed blog post released by Meta, these updates focus primarily on improving direct message (DM) safety. Now, when teens receive messages from unfamiliar accounts, Instagram will display contextual details like when the account was created, along with clear safety tips and quick options to block or report the user. This aims to help teens better identify suspicious behavior and avoid potential scams or inappropriate interactions.

Meta stated, “We’ve added new safety features to DMs in Teen Accounts to give teens more context about the accounts they’re messaging and help them spot potential scammers.” The platform has also made it easier to block and report suspicious users simultaneously—an improvement designed to encourage swift action against harmful interactions.

Data shared by Meta shows the features could be impactful: in June alone, 1 million teen accounts either blocked or reported other users, while another 1 million used the Location Notice tool to detect if a message came from another country.

For now, these DM-specific updates are exclusive to Instagram, though Meta is exploring options to implement similar tools in Facebook Messenger. Other features, such as location notices and safety alerts, are already active across both Instagram and Facebook.

Meta also revealed plans to enhance protections for adult-managed accounts that regularly post content featuring children, such as parent-run or family influencer accounts. These accounts will be automatically moved into the platform’s strictest messaging settings and have “Hidden Words” filters turned on by default to block inappropriate comments.

While Meta continues to face criticism regarding its handling of minors on social media, including past allegations of ad targeting based on emotional vulnerability, the company has taken visible steps in recent years to create safer digital environments for teens. These latest measures build on its “Teen Accounts” initiative, which limits contact with unknown users and restricts access to certain content.

The new safety features will begin rolling out in phases over the coming months.