Meta and Teenage Privacy Updates

Written By Alicia Vial

Meta rolled out a series of updates aimed at protecting teens who are using their popular Instagram and Facebook platforms. They were aimed at reiterating Meta’s ongoing commitment to protecting younger users and addressing concerns about online safety and privacy that have come to the forefront.

One major update is content control and moderation. Meta implemented a control on what it has defined as high-risk content for teens including. The “moderation tools” use a combination of A.I. and humans to identify and limit the exposure of this type of content to teenage users. This includes the proactive detection and removal of content that violates community standards.

The updates also included changes to privacy settings for teen accounts – any user between the ages of 13 to 17. Meta automatically sets the most restrictive content controls on pages for users in this age group. But this isn’t just for new pages, they rolled it out to all pages so that profiles are set to private by default.

The aim is to limit exposure to potential online risks or predators and ensure a safer social media experience.

Additionally, improved age verification methods are now in place to more accurately detect the age of users. This is powered by A.I. and will help in the enforcement of content moderation and restrictions.

New parental control features give parents/guardians more oversight of teen social

media usage. The tools monitor activity including searching, comments and what type of content your teen is looking at. It also allows parents to set usage limits, review friends lists and requests and view messaging.

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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