Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has announced the rollout of new parental control tools for its platforms. These tools aim to enhance the safety and privacy of young users and encourage healthy digital habits. The updates include a parental supervision hub in Messenger, proactive blocking of unwanted direct messages (DMs) on Messenger and Instagram, and reminders for teens to take breaks from using the apps.

Messenger Supervision Controls: Keep Track of Teens’ Privacy and Safety Settings

The Messenger supervision controls will initially be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada through Meta’s Family Center. Parents or guardians will have access to their teen’s privacy and safety settings, be notified of any changes in their Messenger contact list, and monitor the amount of time spent in the app. They will also receive notifications if their teen reports someone; however, explicit permission from the teen is required for this feature.

Parents will be able to manage settings such as who can message their teens (friends only, friends of friends, or no one) and who can view their stories. Any changes made to these settings will trigger notifications for the guardians.

Instagram has been taking steps to limit interactions between teens and unknown adults, and the latest update involves users sending text-only invitations to seek permission before interacting with someone they are not connected to. This feature is designed to enhance safety and prevent unwanted contact.

To promote healthy digital habits, both Instagram and Facebook will introduce controls to reduce excessive usage. Instagram’s existing “Quiet mode,” which allows users to pause notifications and set auto-replies while taking a break, will now be available globally. Facebook will notify users after 20 minutes of continuous usage to encourage them to take a break, and it will also remind teens to close the app while watching Reels at night.

Meta is also introducing a new notice on Instagram, urging teens to allow their guardians to supervise their accounts for added protection. Parents will have the ability to view mutual followers and accounts followed by their teens.

Earlier this year, Meta implemented controls over ad targeting for teenagers and introduced tools to prevent the sharing of intimate images by minors. However, the company has faced scrutiny for privacy violations related to children’s data and was previously fined over $400 million for breaching GDPR rules.

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(Source)

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Earlier handsets from realme ran ColorOS but then, with the release of Android 10, the brand introduced its own skin based on ColorOS called realme UI. The company has been improving it by adding new features based on user suggestions since its initial release. Continuing it, the brand announces new features for “Remote Guard”.

In case you do not know, most Chinese Android skins on smartphones offer parental control options. With the help of these settings, parents and guardians can monitor their children/wards. 

OPPO introduced its implementation called “Remote Guard” with the release of ColorOS 6. This feature was inherited by realme UI since its base is ColorOS after all. But instead of OPPO, realme becomes the first to announce new features for this service on its Chinese community forum (via PiunikaWeb).

According to the post by the brand, the app for Remote Guard has been now redesigned. Users can now add multiple guardians to their wards and cam even provide vital family information. Also, contact numbers of guardians can be now set as SOS contact so that wards can make calls easily in the event of an emergency.

EDITOR’S PICK: Development of new ColorOS version takes about four to six months

Since Remote Guard now supports multiple guardians, the app has a new screen, which shows the person in charge of the ward at the given moment. Further, the guardians can also monitor their ward’s smartphone usage. They even have access to a dashboard with handset usage statistics just like Googe Digital Wellbeing.

Parents and guardians can also limit their ward’s smartphone usage by blocking access to apps and games. Also, the service automatically blocks fraudulent calls and SMS spam Last but not least, guardians can even know the whereabouts of their ward with real-time location tracking.

Anyway, as we mentioned in the beginning, most Chinese OEMs include parental control settings in their Android skin like realme. But they don’t provide them in the global version of their mobile software. Hence, there’s less chance for the above-mentioned features to be made available in markets other than China.

UP NEXT: Madhav Sheth takes on a new role as the CEO of Realme Europe

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