Instagram introduces more protections for teenagers

New Instagram accounts for teens offer greater privacy controls and parental oversight, limiting who can interact with them and what content they can see.

Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has introduced a new feature called “Teen Accounts,” with the aim of improving the security and experience of young people on the platform.

These accounts, automatically deployed to all teens, will offer a set of built-in protections including restrictions on contact, sensitive content and usage times, with the possibility of parental intervention and supervision.

The new settings are intended to address common concerns parents have about their children’s social media use. Teens under 16 who are already on Instagram, as well as those who sign up in the future, will be automatically placed into these protected accounts. Parents will also be required to give permission to change any settings that reduce the default level of protection.

Integrated Protection for Adolescents

Teen accounts include a number of features designed to provide a safer environment. Key security measures include:

1. Private Accounts: Teens will have private accounts by default, meaning they will have to manually approve new followers. This prevents outsiders from viewing their content or interacting with them. Private accounts are automatically applied to all users under 16, and also to those under 18 when they register on the platform.
2. Messaging Restrictions: Teen accounts are set up with the highest levels of messaging restrictions. Teens will only be able to receive messages from people they already follow, blocking unwanted communications.
3. Sensitive Content Control: Meta will implement the most restrictive settings regarding sensitive content, reducing teens’ exposure to posts that may be disturbing, such as fights or promotions of cosmetic procedures.
4. Limited Interactions: The new accounts limit who can tag or mention teens, restricting this option to only people they themselves follow. Additionally, the stricter version of the “Hidden Words” feature is automatically activated to filter out offensive comments and unwanted direct message requests.
5. Usage Time Reminders: In order to prevent excessive usage, Instagram will send notifications to teens after 60 minutes of daily activity, encouraging them to leave the app.
6. Sleep Mode: During nighttime hours, from 10pm to 7am, sleep mode will be automatically enabled, silencing notifications and activating automatic replies to direct messages.

Meta-Instagram Image

Parental Supervision

A notable feature of these new accounts is the addition of parental permission for changes to security settings. Teenagers under 16 will need parental permission to modify any of the default settings that reduce restrictions.

To do this, parents must set up parental controls on their child’s Instagram account, which will allow them to approve or deny requests for setting changes. Parents will even have the option to directly change protection settings in the future.

According to Meta, Dr. Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University, noted that “Teen accounts reflect the importance of tailoring online experiences to developmental stages and the need for appropriate protections«.

More Parent Involvement

Meta also seeks to make it easier for parents to have more involvement in their children’s online experiences if they so choose. Some of the tools included are:

• See who has been in contact with your child:Although parents cannot read their children’s messages, they will be able to see who has been in contact with them in the last seven days.
• Set time limits: Parents can decide the amount of time their children can spend on Instagram daily, and once this limit is reached, teens will no longer be able to access the app.
• Block usage during certain periods: Parents can also easily block the use of Instagram during certain periods, such as at night.
• See the topics your child is exploring: Parents will have the opportunity to view the topics selected by their children to ensure that the content is age-appropriate.

Implementation and Future

Starting today, teen accounts are rolling out to new users signing up for Instagram. Migration for teens already on the platform will begin next week, with all teens in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia expected to be under the new setup within 60 days. In the European Union, the rollout is expected by the end of this year, and in the rest of the world starting in January 2025.

Meta also announced that these new accounts will be expanded to other company platforms next year. The global rollout will take time as Meta seeks to ensure the new protections work properly for millions of users.

Lucy Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Project Rockit, called these new accounts “a balanced approach that empowers parents while respecting teens’ right to safely engage and explore online«.

The new teen accounts on Instagram represent a significant change in the way young people interact on the platform. Meta has taken an important step on Instagram with more protection for younger users, addressing the concerns of parents and offering a more comprehensive level of supervision. However, the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their correct implementation and the active collaboration of parents and teenagers in the process of adapting to this new digital environment.