Meta expands Threads parental controls amid regulatory scrutiny

Meta has announced the rollout of parental supervision tools for its Threads platform, enabling parents and guardians to monitor teenage usage and enforce stricter controls via the company’s Family Centre hub. The update allows users to view daily time spent on the app over a seven-day period, set device-wide time limits, adjust sleep mode settings, and manage privacy configurations.

The introduction of these features comes three years after Threads launched in July 2023 and follows intensifying pressure on Meta from regulators and lawmakers to enhance protections for young users. The social media giant has faced numerous lawsuits regarding child safety on its platforms, prompting a multi-year expansion of parental controls across its ecosystem to address concerns over excessive screen time and harmful content.

Under the new system, parents can block access during specific days and hours. Time limits apply to total usage across multiple devices, such as smartphones and laptops, ensuring restrictions are not easily bypassed by switching hardware. Additionally, parents can control who is permitted to tag their teen in posts, adding another layer of privacy management.

Night-time access can be limited or blocked, with notifications muted and auto-replies enabled by default for all teen accounts between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. While teens on Threads already benefit from built-in protections, including private accounts by default and content filters, parents can now decide whether users under 16 are allowed to override these automatic safety settings to make them less strict.

The parental supervision controls are scheduled to launch in the United States next week, with a global rollout planned for the end of the year. The platform, which currently serves 500 million monthly users, continues to refine its safety infrastructure as it matures in the competitive social media landscape.