Instagram rolls out default restrictions for teen users
According to Meta, Instagram’s new teen accounts will be enabled by default for teens on the platform, forcing them to use private accounts. This means users under 18 will have to manually approve everyone who sends them a follower request.
Instagram will only allow teens to receive messages from people they are connected to or accounts they already follow. Likewise, they can only be mentioned or tagged by accounts they follow, while the hidden words feature will filter unwanted comments from comments and messages.
According to the company, sensitive content restrictions, a feature available to all users on Instagram, will be set to the strictest setting, filtering out violent videos or those promoting plastic surgery from the Explore and Reels sections.
Sleep mode will be turned on by default between 10pm and 7am, muting notifications and messages. This feature can also be enabled on any account on Instagram. Meanwhile, teens will receive a reminder after using the app for more than an hour.
Improved parental controls for teen accounts
Parents can also choose to get more insight into how much time their teens spend on Instagram through a supervision feature on the app. It will show who young users have messaged in the past week (including reactions and replies to stories and notes), but not the actual message content.
The service will also show parents an overview of the content topics that teens choose on Instagram. The app can also set usage timers to block access after a specified time limit. On the other hand, parents can also block the use of Instagram during a specific time period, according to the company.
Instagram teen account rollout timeline
Teens who sign up for Instagram in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will now be included in the Teen Account, while users under 16 who already have an account will enter the new experience next week, the company said. Younger users in the European Union will be switched to Teen Accounts later this year, with other regions to follow in January 2025.
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