Report finds major gaps in Instagram’s teen safety features, Meta rejects claims
New Delhi: Several safety tools that Meta has promoted as safeguards for teenagers on Instagram are either ineffective, flawed, or in some cases absent, according to a study released by child-safety advocacy groups and corroborated by researchers at Northeastern University.
The report, titled “Teen Accounts, Broken Promises”, reviewed 47 safety features that Instagram has publicly announced over the past decade. Of these, only eight were found to function as intended. The rest, the study said, were “substantially ineffective,” discontinued, or easily bypassed, as reported by Reuters.
Researchers found that measures designed to block self-harm-related searches could be circumvented with minor spelling variations. Anti-bullying filters often failed to activate, even when tested with phrases Meta itself had cited as examples. Another tool, meant to redirect teens from bingeing self-harm content, did not trigger in tests.
Some features were found to be effective, such as “quiet mode,” which mutes notifications at night, and parental controls that require approval for changes to teen account settings.
The study was led by the UK-based Molly Rose Foundation and the U.S.-based Parents for Safe Online Spaces, both founded by parents who allege their children died after exposure to harmful content on social media platforms. Northeastern University researchers validated the findings, with professor Laura Edelson noting: “Using realistic testing scenarios, we can see that many of Instagram’s safety tools simply are not working.”
Meta rejected the report’s conclusions. Company spokesperson Andy Stone described it as “dangerously misleading,” arguing that the review misstated how Meta’s tools function and how families use them. “Teens who were placed into these protections saw less sensitive content, experienced less unwanted contact, and spent less time on Instagram at night,” Stone said.
The criticism was partly informed by internal tips from Arturo Bejar, a former Meta safety executive. Bejar, who worked with Instagram until 2021, said management repeatedly watered down effective ideas. “I experienced firsthand how good safety ideas got whittled down to ineffective features,” he said, stressing the need for independent scrutiny.
Reuters, which reviewed the report, confirmed some findings through its own tests and by examining internal Meta documents. In one case, a teen test account was able to access eating-disorder-related content by searching “skinnythighs,” a banned term altered slightly. Internal documents further revealed lapses in updating automated systems designed to detect and limit promotion of eating-disorder and suicide-related material, as well as delays in updating lists of search terms used by child predators.
Stone said Meta has since addressed these deficiencies, combining automation with human oversight.
The report follows Meta’s heightened scrutiny in the U.S. Last month, senators launched an investigation after disclosures showed company chatbots could engage minors in inappropriate conversations. Former employees also told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that the company downplayed internal findings about children’s exposure to predators in virtual reality spaces. Meta dismissed these claims as “nonsense.”
On Thursday, Meta announced that its teen account protections are being expanded to Facebook users outside the U.S. The company also said it is building partnerships with middle and high schools to bolster awareness of online safety. “We want parents to feel good about their teens using social media,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said.
Meanwhile, Instagram confirmed a new rule barring users under 16 from livestreaming without parental consent. The company also reported removing 635,000 accounts that sexualised children.
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CM Siddaramaiah rebuts BJP's '63 per cent' corruption charge
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday refuted BJP leader R Ashoka's accusation regarding a judge's alleged remark about "63 per cent corruption" in the state, saying the opposition is "twisting facts" and attempting to shift blame from its own past tenure.
In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly had “tried to hang the BJP’s bell of sins around the Congress government's necks and has ended up embarrassing himself” by misinterpreting the Upa Lokayukta’s comments.
"In the report submitted in November 2019, Honourable Upa Lokayukta B Veerappa had stated that there was 63 per cent corruption in the State. At the time he submitted the report, the BJP government led by Yediyurappa was in power in the State,” he clarified.
Countering Ashoka’s demand for a CBI probe, Siddaramaiah listed a series of scandals under the previous BJP government, saying corruption cases were "not just one or two".
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He accused the former regime of "shameless loot" even during the COVID crisis and said "a minimum 40 per cent commission was the norm across departments".
Referring to the death of contractor Santosh Patil, alleged irregularities in irrigation projects, the PSI recruitment scam and charges levelled by BJP MLC H Vishwanath against current state party president B Y Vijayendra, he said: “If we begin listing the scams from the BJP era, an entire epic volume could be written.”
Targetting the Centre, Siddaramaiah said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who proclaims “Na khaaoonga, na khaane doonga” (Neither shall I take kickbacks, nor allow others to take it), India was 'sinking into corruption'.
He cited Transparency International rankings that place the country 96th globally.
Dismissing Ashoka’s claims as “foolishness”, Siddaramaiah asserted that his administration was ensuring transparency in “recruitment to transfers”, preventing misuse of money and power.
“Mr R Ashoka, the monumental corruption you created cannot be cleaned up in just two and a half years,” the Chief Minister said. “Give us some time — we will set everything right.”
Ashoka demanded the transfer of all corruption cases against the Congress government in the state to the CBI, and called for its resignation.
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His demand comes following an alleged remark by Upalokayukta Justice B Veerappa that the level of corruption in Karnataka stood at '63 per cent'.
"We had fought against this corrupt government both inside and outside the assembly when the MUDA scam, Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam surfaced. At that time, CM Siddaramaiah repeatedly asked for evidence of corruption. As per our constitution, courts and judges hold big positions and what they say is regarded as order or a record," Ashoka, also the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said now a judge has stated that the government in Karnataka is "63 per cent corrupt".
"We-- BJP-- had made a 60 per cent commission charge against this government, but a judge has said it is not 60, it is 63 per cent. He (judge) said it at an event where he shared the stage with other judges and senior advocates. He has alleged that there is corruption in almost all departments, nothing happens without paying commission. Karnataka is in fifth position in corruption," he claimed.
At a public event on Wednesday, Justice Veerappa had claimed that the corruption in Kerala stood at 10 per cent, while it is 63 per cent in Karnataka.
He had said that he was able to witness it after becoming the Upalokayukta.
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Recalling that the Congress government, after coming to power, formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the "40 per cent commission" charge it had made against the previous BJP government, Ashoka asked -- what probe will the government order, following the 63 per cent corruption allegation against it.
"If you have any shame left, resign and go... you formed SIT against us, constitute CBI probe on this (allegations against Congress govt), if you have guts, let the corruption in various departments come out in the open," he added.
According to the LoP, Karnataka has become an "ATM" for the Congress party to fund any state elections. Power goes to those who give more money to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
"For the recent Bihar elections, more than Rs 300 crore has gone from Karnataka itself. A breakfast meeting of Ministers was called to collect this money," he said, adding that Congress is synonymous with corruption, and corruption is Congress' home deity.
