Meta is expanding protections for teenage users by alerting parents when conversations with Meta AI touch on suicide or self-harm, the company announced Wednesday. The notifications, which pass through human moderation review before being sent, are currently available to families using Instagram's parental supervision tools in the United States, Britain, Australia, and Canada.
Meta said it aims to roll the feature out globally before the end of the year, including in Italy and other markets. The company has also extended Instagram's existing "restricted content" setting to AI-powered experiences and developed a system designed to detect even subtle or indirect references to self-harm in teen conversations.
The company is working with mental-health specialists to refine how Meta AI responds to sensitive queries, having gathered feedback from more than 75 health experts. Meta is also developing the ability to contact emergency services directly when a conversation signals imminent safety risks.