Meta Platforms is introducing improved privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts belonging to users under 18 as part of a major initiative to tackle increasing worries about the adverse impacts of social media.
The company announced on Tuesday that all eligible Instagram accounts will be automatically converted to “Teen Accounts,” which will be set to private by default.
Users of these accounts will only be able to receive messages and tags from accounts they follow or have existing connections with, and settings related to sensitive content will be adjusted to the highest level of restrictions available.
Users under the age of 16 can only modify the default settings with the consent of a parent or guardian. Additionally, parents will have access to a range of tools that enable them to monitor their children’s interactions and restrict app usage. Research has shown a correlation between social media usage and elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities, especially among younger audiences.
Major companies such as Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube are currently embroiled in numerous lawsuits initiated by parents and school districts, which address concerns regarding the addictive qualities of social media platforms. In the previous year, 33 states in the U.S., including California and New York, took legal action against these companies for allegedly misleading the public about the risks associated with their platforms.
Prominent services like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok permit user registration for individuals aged 13 and older. This latest initiative from Meta comes three years after it discontinued development of a teenager-specific version of Instagram, following calls from lawmakers and advocacy groups who raised concerns about safety.
In July, the U.S. Senate made progress by advancing two significant online safety initiatives – the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. These bills aim to hold social media companies accountable for the impact their platforms have on young users. As part of these updates, Instagram will notify its users under the age of 18 to log off after spending 60 minutes on the app each day.
Additionally, new accounts will automatically feature a sleep mode that mutes notifications overnight. Meta has announced that within 60 days, these users in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia will be transitioned to teen accounts, with plans to extend this change to the European Union later this year. Starting in January, teens around the globe will begin receiving their designated teen accounts.
