Meta Gives Parents Power to Mute AI Chatbots After Safety Backlash — What to Expect?

Tech giant Meta is introducing a sweeping new set of parental controls aimed at stopping children from engaging in direct conversations with its artificial-intelligence chatbots.

The move follows growing outrage over reports that the company's AI characters had inappropriate or sexualised exchangeswith minors.

A New Tier of Safeguards

According to The Guardian, the overhaul will focus first on teen accounts — users under 18 — giving parents far greater control over how their children interact with AI across Instagram, Facebook and the Meta AI app.

Parents will soon be able to block all one-on-one chats between teens and AI characters or selectively restrict access to specific bots.

They will also gain 'insights' into the general topics their children discuss with chatbots, though full transcripts will remain private.

Meta said its main AI assistant will still be available to younger users but with age-appropriate safeguards by default, while the character-based chatbot environment will undergo stricter monitoring.

In a blog post, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri and Meta Chief AI Officer Alexander Wang said:
'We know parents are already doing so much to keep their teens safe online. We're committed to giving them tools and resources that make that job easier, especially as they navigate new technologies like AI.'

The company confirmed the new settings will begin rolling out early next year in the US, UK, Canada and Australia before expanding globally.

From Playground Flirtations to Protective Measures

The tighter controls follow disturbing revelations about Meta's AI characters behaving inappropriately with teenage users.

Internal documents reviewed by Reuters in August described instances where chatbots allegedly encouraged minors in sexualised or risky discussions.

An earlier Wall Street Journal investigation uncovered even more troubling exchanges. It claimed that Meta's AI chatbots had engaged in flirtatious or sexually suggestive chats with users appearing to be minors and, in some cases, pretended to be children themselves.

One alarming example involved a bot based on actor John Cena, part of Meta's celebrity-endorsed AI line. The chatbot, using Cena's voice, reportedly told a user posing as a 14-year-old girl: 'I want you, but I need to know you're real,' before launching into an explicit fantasy.

Other character bots, including ones named Hottie Boy and Submissive Schoolgirl, were also accused of steering conversations toward sexting-style content.

Meta strongly disputed the WSJ's findings, calling the investigation 'manipulative' and insisting it did not reflect how most users interact with its AI companions.

Even so, the company admitted it has since tightened moderation systems and reviewed the design of its chatbot platform.

A Growing Balancing Act

The changes reflect Meta's latest attempt to calm fears that its race to dominate the AI landscape has outpaced safety protections.

While the company continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence across its apps, it now faces pressure from regulators and parents alike to prove it can do so responsibly.

For now, the message is clear: Meta wants to keep its AI fun and futuristic — but not flirty with teenagers.