Meta plans to introduce a new safety feature later this year aimed at preventing minors from sending or receiving explicit photos, even in encrypted chats.
This tool may also be available to adults on Facebook and Instagram as an optional feature.
The move comes in response to criticism from the government and police over Meta's default encryption of Messenger conversations, which authorities argue hampers efforts to identify child abuse.
Meta emphasizes that the feature aims to protect users, especially women and teenagers, from sharing explicit photos.
Additionally, the company reveals that messages from strangers on Instagram and Messenger will not be accessible by default to minors.
The announcement follows concerns raised by police chiefs about minors sharing inappropriate images, contributing to an increase in child sexual offences.
Meta faces legal scrutiny, with court records suggesting evidence of daily online sexual harassment targeting 100,000 underage Facebook and Instagram users.
The company contends that its efforts have been misrepresented. Despite criticisms, Meta unveils a new feature designed to shield minors from offensive content in their communications, with more details on its functionality in encrypted chats to be disclosed later this year.
The decision to implement end-to-end encryption (e2ee) as the default for Facebook Messenger discussions has faced strong opposition from government, law enforcement, and child advocacy groups.
Critics argue that e2ee hinders Meta's ability to identify and report content containing child abuse, a debate echoed in other messaging apps like Apple's iMessage, Signal, and WhatsApp.
