Meta Launches Parental Supervision Tools for Threads App

Meta Platforms Incorporated announced the rollout of parental supervision tools for its Threads platform to target users under 16 years old. Managed through the cross-platform Family Center, the new suite allows parents and guardians to monitor time spent on the app, set daily usage limits, adjust sleep modes, and manage privacy settings, including tagging and sensitive content preferences. Parents can also control whether teens are permitted to modify automatic safety settings.

The tools will debut in the United States next week, with a global release planned by the end of the year. The move follows sustained pressure from lawmakers and regulators, including a 1.4 trillion dollar lawsuit filed by four U.S. states concerning child safety and social media addiction.

Despite the rollout, the effectiveness of such measures remains contested. An internal study conducted by Meta and the University of Chicago suggested parental supervision has little association with teens' social media attentiveness. Additionally, the European Commission previously categorized similar controls on Instagram and Facebook as a failure, stating the tools are easily dismissed and rely too heavily on the technical expertise of parents.