Meta Platforms, Instagram’s parent company, announced on Tuesday a new initiative to enhance safety for teens by automatically placing users under 18 into “Teen Accounts.”
The update aims to reassure parents by introducing stricter controls on who can contact teens and what content they can access, ensuring a safer online experience.
The new Instagram teen accounts, which will be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, feature built-in protections such as restricted messaging and limited exposure to sensitive content. Over the next 60 days, all existing Instagram users under 18 in these countries will also be migrated to Teen Accounts.
Enhanced parental oversight & new features
Instagram Teen Accounts will be private by default, and users will only be able to receive messages from people they follow. Meta has also introduced content restrictions, limiting exposure to violence and cosmetic procedure-related videos.
Additionally, teens will receive notifications if they are online for more than 60 minutes, encouraging healthier usage patterns.
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Meta’s statement underscored the importance of parental peace of mind, noting, “We know parents want to feel confident that their teens can use social media to connect with friends and explore interests without worrying about unsafe or inappropriate experiences.”
A new “sleep mode” will mute notifications between 10 pm and 7 am, and auto-reply features will suggest users be contacted during the day. Teens will also have access to a tool that allows them to choose topics they want to see more of on their feed.
Parents will have the ability to monitor their children’s interactions on the platform, with teens under 16 needing parental permission to adjust any protective settings.
