New York: Meta Platforms is rolling out significant updates to Instagram aimed at enhancing privacy and parental controls for users under 18. This move comes as part of a broader effort to address concerns about the negative impacts of social media on younger audiences.
Effective Tuesday, Meta will automatically convert all Instagram accounts belonging to users under 18 into “Teen Accounts”. These accounts will be private by default, ensuring that only people users follow or are connected with can message or tag them. Additionally, settings related to sensitive content will be set to the highest level of restriction.
For users under 16, any changes to the default settings will require parental approval. Parents will have access to various tools to monitor their children’s interactions and manage their app usage more effectively.
Research has consistently linked social media use to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities among young people. Meta, along with ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube, faces numerous lawsuits from children, school districts, and states over the addictive nature of their platforms. Last year, 33 U.S. states, including California and New York, sued Meta for allegedly misleading the public about the dangers associated with its platforms.
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In response to safety concerns, Meta previously shelved a planned version of Instagram designed specifically for teenagers. The new privacy features come amidst increasing legislative pressure. In July, the U.S. Senate advanced two bills—the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act—that would hold social media companies accountable for the impact of their platforms on children and teens.
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The latest update includes features such as notifications prompting users to take a break after 60 minutes of daily app use and a default sleep mode to mute notifications overnight. Meta plans to transition eligible users to these teen accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia, with a rollout to the European Union later this year. Global implementation is expected to begin in January.
