Instagram to Enhance Teen Account Safety

Instagram introduced safety features for teenagers’ profiles under the age of 16. New measures include stricter content moderation and enhanced user visibility systems.

The platform explained that users under the age of 16 will be automatically registered to Teen Accounts, which features a built-in protection system that limits accounts who can message them and the type of content they see. The measures will only allow age-appropriate content and teen accounts will be set to private by default.

Changing the teen account settings will require permission from parents. Instagram added that the parental supervision feature can be activated to enable more oversight over the use of the content-sharing platform. The specific feature also allows parents to manage the account directly.

Instagram added messaging restrictions and limited interaction settings for teen accounts will only allow messages or mentions by people known by the teenagers. “This new experience is designed to better support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens are safe with the right protections in place,” an Instagram blog post read.

The system also comes with a new tool enabling teenagers to select topics they want to see more in their algorithms, allowing them to focus on the fun, positive content. It also offers a time-limit and night-mode feature. The safety features will be rolled out in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU.