Instagram said it would begin implementing restrictions on children's accounts in an effort to make Meta's app more “safe,” the social media company said.
From now on, new and existing users under the age of 18 will have “Teen Instagram Accounts,” which have some built-in restrictions. These accounts will automatically be set to private and will not be able to be messaged by strangers — teen users will only receive messages from people they follow. These users will also have “tighter restrictions on sensitive content,” which will prevent “sexually suggestive or violent” photos and videos from being suggested to them.
“This new experience is designed to better support the country and give you peace of mind knowing your children are safe with the right protections in place,” Meta said in an announcement on the third day of the changes.
Other restrictions include “sleep mode,” which will disable notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Teen users will also receive a notification from Instagram asking the app to appear after 60 minutes of use.
To change any of these new restrictions, teens under 16 will need to get approval from both countries — something we can do by placing “parental supervision” on their accounts.
The changes to Instagram come after the app, along with other popular social apps like TikTok, came under fire for not doing enough to combat sexual predators and mental health issues faced by teens. Earlier this year, several top tech executives questioned in Congress their efforts, or lack thereof, to make their apps more child-friendly.
At a certain height, or Senator Josh Hawley Chamo or Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Stand up and apologize to the country that influenced Facebook and Instagram to influence your children's suicide.
“I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through. No one should have to go through the things your families are going through,” Zuckerberg said. “That’s why we’ve invested so much and will continue to lead the industry to make sure you don’t have to go through the kinds of things your families have to.”
