Dear Friend –
Accountable Tech partnered with the youth-led coalition Design It For Us to understand how Meta’s “Teen Accounts” work. Spoiler: they do not keep kids safer online. In fact, in just two weeks, they led teens to dangerous and sexual content in every single case.
We need to ensure all parents know that Meta’s “safety features” aren’t doing enough to protect kids online. Spread the word today:
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TIKTOK
BLUESKY
THREADS
FACEBOOK
In our study, five participants posing as teens started new Instagram accounts, which are meant to automatically enable Meta’s “Teen Account” settings. Since Meta rolled out Teen Accounts in September 2024, they’ve claimed that “teens will be placed into the strictest setting of our sensitive content control.” [1] Our report found that within two weeks, all participants were algorithmically recommended sensitive content despite Meta’s default sensitive content controls being enabled [2]:
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5 out of 5 of our test Teen Accounts were recommended sensitive content and sexual content.
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4 out of 5 Teen Accounts were recommended body image and disordered eating content.
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4 out of 5 research participants had distressing experiences while using Instagram Teen Accounts.
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Only 1 out of 5 of our test Teen Accounts was recommended educational content.
Parents are entrusting Meta to prevent their kids from seeing or engaging with harmful content, but now we know that’s not happening. If we want to keep kids safe online, we need Big Tech to step up their platform’s safety design NOW. Spread the word today:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
BLUESKY
THREADS
FACEBOOK
Together, we will use our voices to hold Big Tech accountable to our kids.
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Chip in to support our work holding Big Tech accountable:
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Accountable Tech is a non-profit organization advocating for digital justice by reining in Big Tech’s threats to society and democracy with legislative, regulatory and structural solutions. We are leading the movement to advance a better, more human-centered digital future and tech for the common good. To learn more, visit accountabletech.org.
© Accountable Tech
We see the irony of asking you to follow us on the same platforms we’re fighting to hold accountable, but they are… well… dominant. We have to reach people where they are in order to level the playing field – and we’re ready to bring the fight right to their own platforms. But let us know – what other platforms would you like to see us on? Reply to this email with your answers!
Accountable Tech
217 W 140th St
PO Box 95
New York, NY 10030
United States
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