Instagram, the social media platform owned by Meta, has announced a new initiative to keep parents informed about their children's online activities related to self-harm and suicide. Starting in the coming weeks, Instagram will send notifications to parents via email, WhatsApp, or Instagram messages if their children search for terms related to self-harm or suicide multiple times in a short timeframe. This measure aims to provide parents with awareness of concerning behavior and to facilitate discussions about mental health between parents and children.

In addition to the notifications about search behavior, the proposed changes will also extend to conversations that may involve chatbots within the platform, indicating a broader approach to monitoring interactions related to mental health. The initial rollout of this feature will begin in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada next week, with plans to expand to other regions later this year.

The initiative comes amid ongoing criticism aimed at social media companies for their role in harboring content that promotes self-harm and suicide. By taking these steps, Instagram not only seeks to mitigate the risks associated with such harmful content but also aims to improve its reputation and responsibility when it comes to the mental well-being of its users, particularly minors who may be most vulnerable to these issues.