Teens’ Instagram accounts become private… Messages can only be forwarded to followers.
Enhanced Safety Measures for Teenagers on Instagram
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a plan to strengthen the safe use of its platforms for young users. The new measures aim to protect teenagers from addiction, mental health issues, and other potential harms associated with social media.
Teen accounts on Instagram will be made private by default, and users will only be able to receive private messages from people they follow or are already connected with. This change is expected to roll out in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, with other countries, including Korea, following suit next year.
The new measures also include restrictions on sensitive content, such as sexual or self-harm-related material, and the Instagram algorithm will no longer recommend such content to teenagers. Additionally, users will receive notifications and have the option to activate ”sleep mode” if they access the app for more than 60 minutes.
Parental supervision rights have also been strengthened, allowing parents to limit Instagram usage time and track their child’s activity. Young people aged 16 and 17 can turn off location services, but users under 16 will require parental permission to do so.
Meta has also announced plans to develop technology to predict whether a person claiming to be an adult could actually be a teenager. This move aims to prevent teenagers from creating adult accounts and accessing content that may be harmful to them.
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, stated that the company expects the number of teenage users to decrease significantly as a result of these changes. However, he believes that this will ultimately be beneficial for the company in the long term, as it will help to build trust with parents and provide reassurance about the safety of the platform.
Key Changes to Instagram for Teenagers
- Teen accounts will be made private by default
- Private messages will only be allowed from people the user follows or is already connected with
- Restrictions on sensitive content, including sexual or self-harm-related material
- Instagram algorithm will no longer recommend sensitive content to teenagers
- Notifications and “sleep mode” will be activated after 60 minutes of usage
- Parental supervision rights will be strengthened, allowing parents to limit usage time and track activity