Instagram has launched "Teen Accounts" with enhanced privacy and parental controls for users under 18. The new settings, including automatic private profiles and restricted messaging, aim to protect young users amid growing concerns about online safety and mental health.
Instagram has introduced new privacy and parental control settings for teenagers in response to mounting concerns over online safety. As part of the changes, users under 18 will automatically have their accounts converted to "Teen Accounts," which include stricter privacy settings and more oversight from parents. Teens will only be able to receive messages and be tagged by people they already follow. Additionally, content deemed sensitive will be restricted, and offensive words will be filtered out of comments and direct messages.
For users under 16, changing the default privacy settings will require parental permission, while those aged 16 and 17 can do so independently. Parents will also have the ability to monitor their children's interactions on Instagram, including seeing who they have messaged in the last seven days (without reading the messages), setting daily time limits, and blocking access to the app during specific times, such as at night.
The updates come as social media platforms, including Instagram’s parent company Meta, face increased scrutiny and legal challenges over the negative impact of social media on young people's mental health, particularly its links to anxiety, depression, and addictive behavior. In addition to these changes, Instagram will prompt teenagers to close the app after 60 minutes of use daily.
These new features will first be rolled out in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, with plans to expand into the European Union later this year, as Instagram and other platforms continue to face pressure to protect young users online.
