Instagram has taken drastic steps to save teenagers from the dark world of social media. Parents will be sent a direct warning if they try to search for suicide or self-harm issues again and again. Meta Authority announced this special feature on Thursday. Experts consider this initiative of the company under legal pressure to be significant.

The service will roll out in the US, UK, Australia and Canada in the coming weeks. This special feature will be rolled out to other parts of the world by the end of 2026. Only accounts covered by Instagram’s ‘Parental Supervision’ tool will get this feature. This alert will be activated only if a teenager tries to search by typing suicide words repeatedly within a short period of time.

Parents will receive this alert via email, text message, WhatsApp or directly from the app. In addition to warning, Instagram will also send expert advice on how to talk to children about this sensitive topic.

Parents will receive this alert via email, text message, WhatsApp or directly from the app. In addition to warning, Instagram will also send expert advice on how to talk to children about this sensitive topic.

Instagram previously blocked searches for certain words to suicide. Instead, information about helplines and aid agencies was displayed. But now it appears that, despite the barriers, teenagers are finding such things in other ways. Meta said the range of alerts was determined in consultation with its ‘Suicide and Self-Harm Advisory Group’. They put special emphasis on taking precautions. The company is reluctant to back down even if there is a false warning if necessary.

There is intense legal pressure behind this announcement. Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a historic trial in California. There have been allegations that companies are deliberately hooking minors. This is the first time such a case has gone to a jury. There has been a worldwide push to limit children’s access to social media. Australia banned social media for under-16s in December. France, Denmark, Spain and the UK are also pushing for similar legislation. The question is, will India be aware in advance? That’s the thing to watch now.