Teenagers, you’ll no longer be able to enjoy unbridled freedom on Instagram with the platform’s new ‘Teen Accounts’ feature. After facing flak from lawmakers for not ensuring adequate safety for underage users, Instagram, with its new update, focuses on elevated safety for all folks under the age of 18. “Built-In Protections for Teens, Peace of Mind for Parents,” as Meta puts it.
Parental controls and built-in protections have been introduced for users under 16, and the guardian’s permission will be required to change any of these settings to be less strict. The changes, which will impact billions of users worldwide, were announced by Adam Mosseri on Good Morning America.
Instagram ‘Teen accounts’: All about Meta’s new feature for teens
Default private accounts for people under 18
Underage users already using the app or ones signing up (including those who are lying about their age) will automatically be placed in a new type of account with built-in protections that give parents more control. The accounts will be private, and users can only be messaged, tagged as well as mentioned by people they already follow.
The users will be notified to close the app after an hour
There will also be time-limit reminders. Teens will get notifications telling them to leave the app after 60 minutes each day.
Automatic restrictions on sensitive content
Instagram will automatically put teens into the most restrictive settings of the app’s sensitive content control. It will limit a lot of sensitive content including posts that promote violence, encourage cosmetic procedures and more in the Explore as well as Reels tab.
Sleep mode will automatically turn on
Sleep mode will automatically turn on between 10 PM and 7 AM, thereby muting notifications overnight as well as sending auto-replies to Instagram DMs.
Parental monitoring of interactions as well as setting time limits
The updated parental controls will allow parents or guardians to see who their teen has messaged in the past week. Don’t worry, parents won’t be able to see or read the actual messages but only an overview of their interactions. Moreover, they can set daily time limits for app use and even choose to completely block nighttime usage entirely rather than sticking to Sleep mode.
Remember that back in January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to parents while testifying at a Senate hearing. The parents held Instagram accountable for their kids’ suicide and exploitation. Reacting to this, Zuckerberg had mentioned, “It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered.”
Instagram is likely to roll out this feature within 60 days in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, as well as European Union countries. Teens will begin to receive these updates starting January 2025.
So, will you try these features for your kids?
(Hero image credit: Sam/ Unsplash)
(Feature image credit: Luke van Zyl/ Unsplash)
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Written by
Kriti Nayyar
Senior Digital Writer, Wellness, Culture, Astrology, Tech
Kriti is a stay-at-home dog mama, whose knack for telling interesting stories keeps her erstwhile monotonous life sane. A literature & journalism degree holder, you'll find her binging on Agatha Christie novels while critiquing the everyday state of affairs. On Kriti's seldom social outings, she's seen devouring coffee sangria with appetizing bread on the side.
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