Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent Meta Platforms, has launched new designated accounts for teenagers, saying they will allow parents more control over their children’s online activity, according to an official statement.
The accounts, which have been introduced as “Teen Accounts”, will contain built-in privacy protections for users under the age of 18. The privacy feature will be automatic for every user Meta marks “underage” for across its social media platforms.
Teens who are already using Instagram or will sign up on the platform now onwards will be subject to the new privacy and safety protocols, Instagram says. Messages to the Teen Accounts can only be sent or tagged if the sender is on the following list of the recipient.
The development comes as Meta faces intense scrutiny for its business practices — surrounding primarily around algorithmic recommendations — for teenagers. In the United States (US), in particular, state governments have levelled allegations against the popular image-heavy platform that it is fuelling a “youth mental health crisis”.
The company is currently facing a lawsuit backed by 33 states under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
On the other hand, users aged under 16 years can only change their default settings with the permission of their parents. The Teen Accounts will provide a settings suite to parents to monitor their children’s app activity, including who they are engaging with. Parents will be able to set a time limit for their children, too.
“Teens will automatically be placed into the most restrictive setting of our sensitive content control, which limits the type of sensitive content (such as content that shows people fighting or promotes cosmetic procedures) teens see in places like Explore and Reels,” the statement reads.
In addition, users will receive notifications asking them to log out of their accounts after 60 minutes of activity each day under the time limitation feature. The Teens Accounts will turn on a sleep mode between 10pm and 7pm, muting overnight notifications automatic replies to direct messages.
“If parents want more oversight over their older teen’s (16+) experiences, they simply have to turn on parental supervision,” Instagram says. “Then, they can approve any changes to these settings, irrespective of their teen’s age.”
More on Teen Accounts can be read here
