Instagram provides new privacy settings for teens
Instagram is implementing new privacy settings specifically for teen users, with the goal of reducing exposure to harmful content. These changes come at a time when Meta, Instagram’s parent company, wants to address growing concerns about online safety for young people.
All teen accounts will automatically be converted to teen accounts, which will have increased privacy controls. These accounts will default to private mode, allowing only messages and tags from approved contacts.
Instagram will also implement stricter content filtering measures, blocking offensive language in comments and private messages. Teen users will receive notifications encouraging them to disconnect after 60 minutes of daily use. In addition, a sleep mode will be activated between 10pm and 7am, ignoring notifications. Chat messages from others will receive an automatic reply during this period.
Parental involvement is crucial with these new settings. Users under 16 will need parental permission to change the default settings, while users aged 16 and 17 will retain the autonomy to disable them without parental permission. Parents will also have access to tools that allow them to monitor their children’s interactions and control their app usage.
Meta plans to roll out these changes gradually, starting with the US, UK, Canada and Australia within 60 days, followed by the European Union later this year. In the remaining regions, implementation will begin in January. While regulators such as Ofcom in the UK recognise these changes as a positive step, they stress the need for platforms to do more to protect their users, especially children, under the upcoming Online Safety Act.
Meta has faced significant legal challenges regarding how it handles young people’s experiences on its platforms. Critics claim the technology is intentionally addictive and harmful, while others call for more transparency regarding its algorithms. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died after viewing online content about suicide, depression and anxiety, questioned why such measures were not put in place sooner.
Meta argues that these restrictions are intended to improve parental controls and ensure the safety of teenage users. They also recognise the possibility of age bias and state that they are developing technology to proactively identify accounts belonging to teens, regardless of their stated age, with testing beginning early next year in the US.
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