LONDON: Meta Platforms is building more safeguards to protect teen users from unwanted direct messages on Instagram and Facebook, the social media platform said on Thursday.
The move comes weeks after the WhatsApp owner said it would hide more content from teens after regulators pushed the world’s most popular social media network to protect children from harmful content on its apps.
The regulatory scrutiny increased following testimony in the US Senate by a former Meta employee who alleged the company was aware of harassment and other harm facing teens on its platforms but failed to act against them.
Meta said teens will no longer get direct messages from anyone they do not follow or are not connected to on Instagram by default. They will also require parental approval to change certain settings on the app.
On Messenger, accounts of users under 16 and below 18 in some countries will only receive messages from Facebook friends or people they are connected through phone contacts.
Adults over the age of 19 cannot message teens who don’t follow them, Meta added.
Meta moves to protect teens from unwanted messages on Instagram, Facebook
https://arab.news/yznw7
Meta moves to protect teens from unwanted messages on Instagram, Facebook
- New rules will prevent teens from receiving direct messages unless they are connected
TikTok names 2025 MENA Awards nominees ahead of Dubai ceremony
- Awards celebrate 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty
- Ceremony will take place during the 1 Billion Followers Summit on Jan. 8
LONDON: TikTok has announced the nominees for its 2025 MENA Awards, an annual showcase of the creators, trends and cultural moments that shaped the region’s online conversation over the past year.
For the first time, the awards will be held in Dubai during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of digital creators.
“We’re proud to celebrate the return of the TikTok Awards in MENA, a moment dedicated to spotlighting the remarkable creativity emerging from our region and the creators who continue to inspire creativity and bring joy to millions every day,” Kinda Ibrahim, regional general manager of operations, TikTok Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, said.
This year’s TikTok Awards MENA will highlight 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty, alongside four cross-cutting prizes: Creator of the Year, Visionary Content Award, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Changemaker of the Year.
TikTok said the shortlisted accounts reflect how MENA creators drove global conversations in 2025, from viral sounds and challenges to issue-based campaigns and long-form storytelling that traveled beyond the region’s borders.
The platform said the awards are an opportunity to recognize creators whose work has helped define the platform’s mix of humor, lifestyle, music, and social commentary in Arabic and other languages.
The ceremony will also include performances by regional artists whose tracks have underpinned major TikTok trends this year, with the full lineup due to be confirmed later in December.
A full list of nominees is available on TikTok MENA channel. Public voting for the awards is now open and runs until Dec. 23, with winners set to be announced at the summit on Jan. 8.
