Rated Watch · How we rate
Fewer teens post here now, but Messenger and Marketplace still expose them to adult strangers — and the account quietly becomes their login across the web.
| Minimum age | 13 |
|---|---|
| Strangers can contact | No |
| Location sharing | No |
| Disappearing messages | |
| Parental visibility | Limited |
Facebook isn't where most teens hang out anymore, but it's still a contact surface: Messenger lets anyone who finds their profile message them, Marketplace puts them in touch with adult strangers for local deals, and Groups can pull them into unmoderated communities. The quieter risk is that a Facebook account becomes a single sign-on for dozens of other apps and games — so one weak password exposes everything.
Facebook Privacy & Safety Settings for Teens
Profile & Friends
- Set Profile to Private (Friends only)
- Review Friend Requests before accepting
- Disable "Allow other people to look you up using the phone number/email you provided"
Audience & Posts
- Default post audience: Friends (never Public)
- Limit who can see your friends list
- Disable tagging by friends without approval
Messaging
- Turn on Message Request filtering to screen unknown senders
- Limit who can message you: Friends only
- Disable "Allow messages from people you may know"
Location & Activity
- Turn off Location Services for Facebook in phone settings
- Disable "Allow access to your location" in app
- Turn off Active Status (hide when you're online)
Data & Tracking
- Go to Settings > Apps and Websites and remove old connected apps
- Review Off-Facebook Activity and limit tracking
- Disable personalized ads where possible
Story & Content Sharing
- Keep Stories visible to Close Friends only
- Disable Story replies from strangers
- Review before sharing location, check-ins, or tagged photos
Two-Factor Authentication
- Enable 2FA with authenticator app (not SMS alone)
Other apps to know about
Azar: Chat, Meet Friends
Watch riskStranger-chat app with moderation; risky for under-16, monitor closely for older teens.
Bluesky Social
Watch riskA Twitter-style app with unusually strong user-side moderation controls — but it's public and open by default, with adult content present.
CapCut
Watch riskPowerful free video editor for teens; watch for TikTok/ByteDance data practices.
Fizz
Watch riskAn anonymous feed gated to a single school — anonymity plus a closed real-world community is a targeted-bullying engine.
Fortnite
Watch riskMassively popular multiplayer shooter; fun for teens, requires active parental oversight for younger kids.
Habbo - Original Virtual World
Watch riskSocial MMO with real-time chat and user-generated spaces; moderated but requires parental oversight for younger teens.
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