Key Update
Meta’s latest parental controls give guardians more visibility into how kids chat with AI personas across Messenger, Instagram, and Quest headsets. Before you hand over a device, set up supervised accounts so you can approve friend requests, monitor chatbot topics, and apply usage limits.
Why It Matters
Step 1: Create a supervised profile. In the Family Center dashboard, invite your child’s account or create a new one tied to your Meta profile. Confirm the age range so the correct content policies apply, then require approvals for new contacts and AI personas.
Operational Impact
Step 2: Enable conversation filters. Under Safety Controls, toggle on Sensitive Topic Filtering and restrict AI personas flagged as mature. Add custom keywords—like dating or location-sharing—that automatically flag transcripts for review.
Watch List
Step 3: Set time limits per app. Define daily usage caps for Messenger, Instagram, and Quest experiences. You can set weekday and weekend schedules separately, and configure cooldowns that pause AI chats after a set duration.
Next Steps
Step 4: Review activity reports. In the Insights tab, check weekly summaries of chatbot conversations, highlighted topics, and any attempts to bypass filters. Download logs if you need to discuss a specific exchange with your child.
What to Monitor
Step 5: Educate and iterate. Talk through Meta’s AI safety guidelines with your child so they know why certain personas are off-limits. Revisit the controls monthly to loosen restrictions as they demonstrate responsible behavior or tighten them if new AI features roll out.
Insight 7
By pairing the new parental controls with regular conversations, you can let kids explore Meta’s AI chatbots while keeping the experience age-appropriate.