App Safety Alerts
When popular apps and platforms make changes that affect children's safety, we break down what changed, what it means, and what you should do.
Instagram Pushing Close Friends Sharing for Teenagers
Instagram is actively promoting its Close Friends feature to teenage users, enabling selective sharing of Stories with a restricted group.
TikTok Allowing Teenagers to Receive Gifts During Livestreams
TikTok has expanded its Gifts feature so that teenagers aged 16 and over can receive virtual gifts from viewers during live broadcasts.
TikTok Shop: Teen Spending Concerns
TikTok Shop is making it easier for teens to purchase products directly in the app.
Snapchat Dreams: AI Feature Generating Altered Images of Users
Snapchat's Dreams feature uses AI to generate altered or fantastical images of users based on their selfies, raising privacy questions for young people.
Meta AI Chatbot: New Features for Teens
Meta is expanding AI chatbot features across Instagram and Facebook.
Yubo: Ongoing Grooming Concerns
An advisory about serious ongoing risks for young people on Yubo, a social livestreaming platform popular with teenagers.
Discord Adds New Safety Tools for Younger Users
Discord has expanded its parental supervision and safety features, including new controls for users under 18.
Telegram: Ongoing Safety Concerns for Teenagers
An advisory about the risks Telegram poses to young users due to limited moderation, encrypted messaging, and accessible adult content.
Apple Communication Safety: Expanded Coverage
Apple is expanding Communication Safety to cover more types of sensitive content.
Roblox Expanding Features for Age-Verified 13+ Accounts
Roblox is rolling out expanded social features and unrestricted chat to users aged 13 and over who have completed age verification.
YouTube Kids Algorithm: Updated Content Recommendations
YouTube has updated how content is recommended within YouTube Kids, with improved filtering for age-appropriateness.
Reddit Updates Content Policy for Teen Accounts
Reddit has introduced new protections for accounts registered by users under 18, including content filtering and messaging restrictions.
Google Family Link: 2026 Updates
Google has improved Family Link with better teen supervision controls.
Discord Activities: Embedded Games and Watch Together in Voice Channels
Discord has expanded its Activities feature, allowing users to play games and watch videos together inside voice channels without leaving the app.
Pinterest Introduces Body Image Content Controls
Pinterest has added new tools to limit content related to extreme dieting and idealised body imagery for users under 18.
TikTok Changes Direct Message Settings for Under-16s
TikTok has updated its default direct messaging settings for accounts registered by users under 16.
Snapchat My AI: Ongoing Safety Concerns
Snapchat's My AI chatbot continues to raise safety concerns for young users.
Apple Screen Time: 2026 Feature Updates
Apple has updated Screen Time with new communication limits and improved downtime scheduling features.
WhatsApp Updates Group Chat Privacy Settings
WhatsApp has added new controls for who can add users to group chats.
Character.AI Introduces New Safety Measures for Minors
Character.AI has added content filters and session time reminders for users identified as under 18.
Steam Updates Family View Parental Controls
Steam has improved its Family View feature with better content filtering and purchase approval controls.
Snapchat Updates Snap Map Privacy Defaults
Snapchat has changed how Snap Map location sharing works for younger users.
Roblox Expands Voice Chat to More Users
Roblox has lowered the age threshold for voice chat access, raising concerns about contact with strangers.
Minecraft Strengthens Chat Moderation and Reporting
Minecraft has updated its chat moderation system with improved detection of harmful language and a clearer reporting process.
Instagram Rolls Out Stricter Teen Account Protections
Instagram has expanded its Teen Accounts feature with additional restrictions requiring parental approval to change.