Meta to suspend teens’ access to AI characters amid safety overhaul

January 24, 2026 - 18:16

In a significant move to bolster online safety for younger users, Meta has announced it will temporarily suspend teenagers' access to AI-powered characters across its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. This decision forms a core part of a broader safety overhaul the company is currently implementing.

The suspension specifically targets the popular AI personas, often modeled after celebrities or original characters, that users can interact with via direct messaging. While these features are designed for entertainment, the pause will allow Meta to develop and introduce new, unspecified safety measures specifically for teen accounts. The company has stated that these upcoming protections are intended to create age-appropriate experiences and provide stronger safeguards in all interactions involving young people.

This proactive step reflects growing industry-wide scrutiny and regulatory pressure concerning the impact of AI and social media on youth mental health and privacy. Meta has not provided a specific timeline for when teen access to the AI characters might be restored, indicating the development of these new guardrails is a complex priority. The announcement underscores a shifting focus within tech companies toward implementing more rigorous default safety settings for younger audiences, moving beyond parental control tools and toward built-in platform protections.