Instagram has unveiled a new initiative aimed at creating a safer online environment for teenagers. The social media giant is introducing Instagram Teen Accounts, a feature designed to provide built-in protections and limit potentially harmful interactions and content exposure for young users.
The new Teen Accounts will be automatically applied to users under 16, with stricter privacy settings enabled by default. These include private accounts, messaging restrictions, and sensitive content filters. Teens under 16 will require parental permission to modify these settings to be less restrictive.
Yvonne Johnson, President of the National PTA, commended the move, stating, “This update demonstrates that Meta is taking steps to empower parents and deliver safer, more age-appropriate experiences on the platform.”
Key features of Teen Accounts include:
- Private accounts by default
- Messaging limited to followers and connections
- Strict sensitive content restrictions
- Limited tagging and mentions
- Daily time limit reminders
- Automatic “Sleep Mode” during night hours
To further involve parents in their teens’ online experiences, Instagram is expanding its supervision features. Parents will be able to view their teen’s messaging contacts, set daily time limits, block app usage during specific periods, and see the topics their teen is exploring.
Dr. Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University, commented on the age-specific approach, saying, “Instagram Teen Accounts reflect the importance of tailoring teens’ online experiences to their developmental stages, and implementing appropriate protections. Younger adolescents are more vulnerable as their skills are still emerging and require additional safeguards and protection.”
Instagram acknowledges the challenge of age verification and plans to implement technology to proactively identify accounts belonging to teens, even if they’ve entered an adult birthdate. Testing for this feature is set to begin in the US early next year.
The rollout of Teen Accounts will begin immediately for new sign-ups, with existing teen users being notified and transitioned to the new system starting next week. The company aims to complete the implementation for users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia within 60 days, with plans to expand to the European Union later this year and globally in January.
