Technologies

Your Teen’s Instagram Account Protections Are Coming to Facebook and Messenger

Instagram has already moved 54 million kids into Teen Accounts. And there’s more to come.

Worried about what your kids might be up to on social media? If so, Meta’s continued crackdown on teen safety might come as a relief. The company announced Tuesday that, starting immediately, it’s expanding its Instagram Teen Accounts to other platforms, specifically, Facebook and Messenger.

It also announced additional built-in protections for Instagram Teen Accounts. These will prevent children under the age of 16 from going live on the platform or turning off blurred images, which protect against suspected nudity in direct messages, without parental permission.

Meta first launched Instagram Teen Accounts back in September 2024, in a bid to make the platform a safer place for kids and provide more oversight and supervision options for parents. In an update on Tuesday, the company said it had switched 54 million accounts to become Teen Accounts so far, with more to go. The accounts offer built-in protections, including being set to private by default and a hidden words feature, which will automatically filter out problematic comments and DM requests.

With parental agreement, some of these features can be switched off, but Meta said that so far 97% of teens aged between 13 and 15 had kept the default safeguards in place. In a Meta-commissioned survey undertaken by Ipsos, the company said that 94% of parents found the protections helpful, with 85% saying it made it easier to have positive experiences on Instagram. The company didn’t say how many parents it surveyed, or where they were situated.

Child safety: Who is responsible?

Children’s safety campaigners have been asking social media companies for years to make their platforms safer for kids, and while progress has been slow, Meta’s recognition that teens need different protections than adults to the extent that they require a different kind of account has been an important breakthrough. Other platforms have followed suit, with TikTok introducing new parental controls last month.

But at the same time as introducing teen accounts, Meta has come under fire for rolling back safety protections elsewhere on its platforms. Just this week, the company has ceased its fact-checking program and more broadly it’s also scanning for harmful content in order to promote more free speech.

«In recent months, it has been deeply concerning to see Meta roll back on their duty to protect children,» said Matthew Sowemimo, associate head of policy for child safety online at UK children’s charity the NSPCC over email. «While their move to expand these safety features to both Facebook and Messenger is welcome, more work must be done to ensure children have positive experiences online — including on both private and public parts of these platforms.»

For the changes brought about by the introduction of teen accounts to be most effective, they should be combined with proactive measures to reduce harmful content across Meta’s platforms, Sowemimo added. «While safety settings play an important role in preventing online harm, we know changes to account settings can result in accountability falling onto children and parents to keep themselves safe online,» he said.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im