Instagram launches teen accounts: a redesigned experience for young users 👩🏾‍👦🏾

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Instagram, the popular photo and video sharing platform owned by Meta, has announced the launch of Teen Accounts. This new feature aims to offer a safer, more supervised experience for young users, while reassuring parents about their children’s online safety.

Automatic protections for more peace of mind 🛡️

Teen Accounts are designed with built-in protections, automatically activated for users under 16. Key features include:

• Private accounts by default: Teens must manually approve new follow requests. Accounts that don’t follow them cannot see their content or interact with them.
• Restricted messaging: Only accounts followed or already connected can send messages to teens.
• Sensitive content control: Visibility of sensitive content (such as violence or cosmetic surgery promotion) is limited by default.
• Interaction limitations: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by accounts they follow. Anti-harassment filters are automatically activated to reduce offensive language.
• Time limit notifications: After 60 minutes of daily use, reminders will encourage teens to close the app.
• Sleep mode activated: From 10 PM to 7 AM, notifications are muted, and direct messages (DMs) receive automatic responses.

Source : Instagram

These measures address parents’ key concerns about online safety while allowing teens to explore their interests and interact with friends in a more controlled environment.

A balance between autonomy and parental supervision 🔍

For users under 16, any changes to the protection settings will require parental approval. This parental supervision allows parents to:

• See who their teen has messaged (without reading the content)
• Set a daily limit for app usage
• Block access to Instagram during certain hours
• Discover the topics their teen has been browsing

Source : Instagram

Instagram emphasizes that these measures aim to guide rather than restrict, allowing teens to develop responsible social media use.

Securing interactions and content 🔐

Instagram is implementing advanced technology to ensure that teens don’t lie about their age. Stricter verification checks are being rolled out for accounts suspected of belonging to minors. Tests will begin in the U.S. in early 2024 to detect and correct false age claims.

The platform is also tightening its rules on content visible to teens. In addition to removing content that violates Instagram’s policies, Teen Accounts strictly limit exposure to sensitive content, including topics related to suicide or self-harm.

A global rollout 🚂

Teen Accounts will be introduced gradually in several countries. In the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, new teen users will receive these protections immediately. For teens already using the platform, the transition will begin in the coming weeks. The European Union will follow later in the year, with a global rollout expected by January 2024.

Meta plans to introduce these features to other platforms like Facebook next year, marking a significant shift in how young people interact with social media.

Do you have teens? What do you think of Instagram’s initiative? Share your thoughts in the comments.