On Thursday, Meta announced that Instagram will begin notifying parents if their teen repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period of time. The feature is rolling out to supervised accounts in the US, UK, Australia and Canada, with more regions to follow.
The alerts only apply to teens enrolled in Instagram’s parental supervision tools, a setting that requires consent from both parent and child. If the system detects multiple concerning searches, parents receive a notification through the app, as well as email, text, or WhatsApp, depending on their contact details.
Meta says the goal is awareness, not surveillance.
“These alerts are designed to make sure parents are aware if their teen is repeatedly trying to search for this content and to give them the resources they need to support their teen,” the company said. When parents tap the alert, they’ll see a full-screen message explaining that their teen made repeated searches tied to suicide or self-harm, along with expert-backed guidance on how to approach a sensitive conversation.
Meta added that it already blocks searches clearly promoting self-harm and redirects users to support resources and helplines. The new layer focuses on patterns, not a single search, but several within a short window.
“We understand how sensitive these issues are and how distressing it could be for a parent to receive an alert like this,” the company said. It also noted that “the vast majority of teens do not try to search for suicide and self-harm content on Instagram.”
Digital safety has become a global pressure point. Australia recently passed a law banning social media access for children under 16. The UK is weighing tighter controls. Platforms are responding with built-in guardrails, trying to show regulators and parents that they can police themselves.
The company is also working on similar alerts for certain AI interactions, acknowledging that teens are increasingly turning to chatbots for support.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
