Tech company Meta has rolled out new controls that strengthen parents’ ability to monitor what their children are doing on Facebook and Instagram.

On Instagram, which Meta owns, parents will have more access to their child’s information. They will now be able to see how many mutual followers they have with their friends, which will help parents monitor whether their children are talking to strangers, according to Meta.

Parents will also have the option to limit when their children can browse through Instagram Reels, the company’s short video platform. Under the new rules, if children are browsing through Reels late at night, they will receive a notification telling them to close the app.

Parents can expect changes to Facebook Messenger as well.

Parents will now have access to their children’s contact lists on Messenger along with their privacy settings. Parents thus will be able to see who is and isn’t allowed to talk to their children. They will also be notified if their child reports someone on the app.

The changes come during an increasingly turbulent time in tech.

As economic woes threaten the stability of the industry, parent groups, along with legislators, are becoming increasingly vocal about protecting children on social media.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.