Meta has reportedly been recruiting influencers to promote its teen safety features in response to growing government discussions around social media regulations for young people. A new report by the Tech Transparency Project, a digital advocacy group, indicates that Meta has engaged lifestyle, parenting, and mental health creators since 2024 to highlight parental controls and restricted accounts for users aged 13 to 17.
In July 2025, Meta organised a "screen smart" event in Sydney, Australia, for parenting influencers. This occurred five months before the Australian government planned to enforce a law banning children under 16 from social media platforms. The company reportedly told influencers that blanket bans were ineffective and encouraged them to inform their followers about Meta's existing safety tools for Instagram.
The Tech Transparency Project report also states that Meta has received support from parent, advocacy, and research groups that it financially supports in their pushback against teen bans or restrictions. Edward Patterson, a Meta spokesperson, stated that "blanket bans don't keep young people safe, they simply push them toward less safe, unregulated corners of the internet."
Australia became the first country to ban social media use for under-16s in November 2024, with the law taking effect in December 2025. Other countries, including Indonesia in March 2026 and some Indian states, have also introduced or are considering similar restrictions. Brazil implemented the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents in March 2026, which includes requirements for strict age verification and linking children's accounts to parents'.