Instagram is launching new ‘teen accounts’ designed to offer increased safety and privacy for younger users, the company announced. This initiative will see teenagers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia transitioned to these specially protected accounts within the next 60 days, with users in Ireland and the EU to follow later this year.
The new accounts aim to address ongoing concerns about the safety of younger users on social media platforms. Under these settings, users under the age of 16 will require parental consent to modify any of the built-in protections. The updates include restrictions on who can contact teenagers and what content they are exposed to.
In response to mounting criticism that social media firms have been insufficient in safeguarding younger audiences, Instagram is implementing several key features. Teen accounts will default to private settings, ensuring that only followers can view or interact with a teenager’s content. Messaging capabilities will be restricted so that users can only receive messages from people they follow or are already connected with.
Additionally, these accounts will have sensitive content filters, interaction limitations, time limit reminders, and sleep mode settings to help manage screen time and content exposure. To prevent teenagers from circumventing age restrictions, Instagram will require users to verify their age more frequently, especially when setting up new accounts with adult birthdates.
The platform is also developing technology to identify teen accounts that might list an adult age, ensuring these users are placed under the same safety measures as other teen accounts.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, plans to extend these protections to its other platforms next year. Meta stated, “We know parents want to feel confident that their teens can use social media to connect with their friends and explore their interests, without having to worry about unsafe or inappropriate experiences.”
This move is part of Instagram’s broader efforts to improve online safety and address criticism about the platform’s role in exposing younger users to harmful content.