Instagram has introduced a new feature called “teen accounts” aimed at increasing safety and privacy for users under 18.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, revealed that accounts of teens will now be private by default.
With this change, teens will only be able to receive messages from people they already follow or have connected with before.
The platform will also limit exposure to content deemed sensitive, including violent material and cosmetic procedure promotions.
Offensive language in comments and direct messages will be filtered out automatically.
To help teens manage screen time, notifications will suggest logging off after 60 minutes of daily use. Additionally, a “sleep mode” will silence notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with an automatic reply feature asking users to reconnect during the day.
Users under 16 will need parental consent to modify these settings, while those aged 16 and 17 can adjust them independently.
Parents will also have tools to oversee their children’s interactions and control app usage.
The teen accounts feature will first roll out in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia within 60 days, with a global expansion expected by early 2025.
Meta intends to extend this feature to other platforms it owns next year.
