To improve online safety for young users, Meta has introduced its Instagram “Teen Accounts” in India. This new feature aims to create a secure and age-appropriate environment for teenagers, offering a range of built-in protections such as enhanced privacy settings, interaction limitations, and added parental control options.
Enhanced Privacy and Safety Features for Teen Instagram Accounts
For users under 16, the default settings ensure a more protected experience. Teen accounts are set to private by default, so users must approve new followers, and non-followers cannot view or interact with their content. Messaging is restricted to only those the teen follows or has already connected with, and content such as physical fights or promotions of cosmetic procedures is filtered out in areas like Explore and Reels. Teen users can also only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, and the “Hidden Words” feature automatically filters offensive language in comments and message requests.
Meta introduces time-limited reminders to encourage healthy usage, alerting teens to exit the app after 60 minutes of daily use. Furthermore, the Sleep Mode feature mute’s notifications and sends auto-replies between 10 PM and 7 AM, helping promote a better balance between online and offline activities.
Age Verification and Parental Supervision Tools for Teen Instagram Accounts
In addition to these built-in features, Meta is introducing an age verification system to prevent young users from misrepresenting their age. Certain verification steps will be required if an individual tries to create an account using an adult birthdate.
Instagram provides parents with tools to monitor and supervise their child’s usage. Parents can view a list of people their teen has messaged in the past seven days, without accessing the message content. They can also set daily time limits, which restrict access to Instagram once the limit is reached. Additionally, parents can block access to Instagram during specific times, such as at night, using a toggle control. These features demonstrate Meta’s commitment to creating a safer and more responsible online environment for teenagers.
