TV, social media, junk food -- parents have been setting limits on their kids forever. Now, add AI chatbots to the list. Meta announced Friday that, starting in 2026, parents will be able to block teenagers from interacting with AI chatbots on Instagram. Parents will be able to block all access or block access to specific AI characters.

Meta, owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, is adding the parental controls months after a report came out in August showing the company's AI guidelines allowed chatbots to "engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual." Another report came out earlier this month that said 3 in 5 children aged 13 to 15 encounter unsafe content or unwanted messages on Instagram.

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