Meta restricts teen access to chat with AI characters.

Meta is hitting pause on teen access to its AI characters while it works on a revamped version aimed at enhancing the overall experience. This decision was shared in an update to a previous blog post from October, where the company outlined new parental controls for teen interactions with AI. The restriction on teen access will take effect in the coming weeks.

Sophie Vogel, a spokesperson for the company, explained that since announcing plans for parental controls in October, they have been developing a new generation of AI characters for both adults and teens. To streamline the process, they decided to halt teen access to the current AI characters while they focus on this new version, which will include parental controls when it launches.

According to reports, Meta received feedback from parents seeking greater insight and control over their teens’ interactions with AI characters, prompting these changes.

In October, Meta revealed plans for parents to block their teens from one-on-one chats with AI characters, restrict access to specific characters, and provide insights into the topics discussed with the AI and its assistant. Initially, these blocking features were set to roll out early this year. However, in the latest update, Meta indicated that it is still refining how to share conversation insights with parents regarding their teens’ interactions with the AI assistant, with that feature expected to arrive soon.

Additionally, last October, Meta adjusted Instagram’s settings for teen accounts, allowing users to view content suitable for those aged 13 and older.