Instagram will begin notifying parents if their teenagers repeatedly search for suicide- or self-harm-related terms on the platform, as part of expanded safety measures.
The company disclosed the update in a post on its official blog, saying the feature will roll out in the coming weeks to parents enrolled in its parental supervision tools.
According to Instagram, alerts may be triggered when teens search for phrases that encourage suicide or self-harm, suggest a young person may be at risk, or include general terms such as “suicide” or “self-harm.”
The company said notifications will be sent via email, text message or WhatsApp, depending on the contact information provided, as well as through an in-app alert. Parents who tap the notification will see a full-screen message explaining that their teen has repeatedly searched for terms associated with suicide or self-harm within a short period.
Parents will also be provided with expert-backed resources designed to help them approach potentially sensitive conversations.
Instagram said it developed the feature after analysing search behaviour on the platform and consulting experts from its Suicide and Self-Harm Advisory Group. The company added that alerts will only be triggered after multiple searches within a short timeframe, in an effort to avoid unnecessary notifications.
The move comes amid mounting legal and public scrutiny over teen well-being online. Parent company Meta Platforms has faced lawsuits in the United States alleging it failed to adequately protect children and designed features that contribute to addiction and psychological harm.
Company executives, including Instagram head Adam Mosseri, have faced questioning over safety features and the balance between user privacy and child protection. In a separate case before the Los Angeles County Superior Court, internal research presented in court indicated that parental supervision tools had limited impact on compulsive social media use, particularly among children experiencing stressful life events.
