Instagram’s Teen Protections Failing, Study Finds Teens Still See Suicide Conten

Instagram’s teen safety tools are falling short, according to a new study that claims many young users are still being exposed to harmful content promoting suicide and self-harm. Researchers found that 30 of Instagram’s 47 protections for teen accounts were either ineffective or had disappeared entirely, with only eight tools working as intended. The report, backed by child safety groups including the Molly Rose Foundation, also highlighted troubling cases of underage users being encouraged to post risky content that drew sexualized comments from adults. Meta pushed back, saying the findings misrepresent its efforts and that teens under its safeguards are seeing less harmful material and benefiting from added parental controls. Still, experts argue that the platform’s failings reveal a culture prioritizing profit over safety, renewing calls for accountability under the UK’s Online Safety Act.