Meta Expands Instagram School Program as Teen Safety Scrutiny Grows

Meta is expanding Instagram’s school partnership program in the United States as the social media company faces growing scrutiny over the safety and well-being of teenagers using its platforms.

The company said on Tuesday that nearly 17,000 schools have joined the program so far. Meta is now creating a centralized hub for school-related accounts and adding features designed to make it easier for schools and students to communicate through Instagram.

Verified students at participating schools will be able to access directories for clubs and sports teams, school-specific Stories and Notes for announcements. Meta is also introducing Channels and Notes for verified school accounts, allowing schools to communicate with students, parents and the wider school community.

The expansion builds on Instagram’s School Partnership Program, which was launched in 2025 to help educators report potential teen safety problems, including bullying, directly to Meta. The initial program was tested with 60 schools before broader enrollment was opened.

Meta’s latest move comes at a time of increased legal and regulatory pressure over how its platforms affect younger users. In August, the company agreed to pay up to $18 billion over a decade to settle claims brought by U.S. states alleging that Facebook and Instagram were designed to keep children and teenagers engaged. Meta denied wrongdoing.

The settlement includes new restrictions for teen users, including a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram, overnight blocks from midnight to 6 a.m., muted notifications during school hours and stronger age-assurance measures.

The agreement has also intensified international attention on Meta’s approach to youth safety. Regulators and officials in countries including Australia, South Korea, the Philippines and members of the European Union have been examining whether stronger protections should be applied more broadly.

Meta has said its Teen Accounts and parental controls are designed to provide age-appropriate experiences, while its school program gives educators another channel to address problems that occur online.

The expansion also reflects the increasingly important role schools are playing in discussions about social media safety. By giving verified schools more direct communication tools and prioritized reporting channels, Meta is seeking closer cooperation with educators while regulators continue to examine how its platforms affect young people.

For Meta, the challenge will be balancing those expanded school partnerships with continued scrutiny over whether its broader safety measures are effective enough to protect teenagers from harmful online experiences.