Sept 17 (Askume) – Meta Platform (META.O) is rolling out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts for users under the age of 18, aimed at addressing growing concerns about social media overpolicing.
Meta will automatically port all designated Instagram accounts to “teen accounts,” which will be private by default, the company said Tuesday.
Users of such accounts can only send messages and tags to accounts they follow or are connected with, and sensitive content settings will be adjusted to the strictest settings available.
Users under the age of 16 can change the default settings only with parental permission. Parents will also get a set of settings to monitor who their children are interacting with and limit their use of the app.
Several studies have shown that social media use is associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities, especially among younger users.
Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s GOOGL.O YouTube have faced hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts over the addictive nature of social media. Last year, 33 U.S. states including California and New York sued the company, saying it misled the public about the dangers of its platform.
Top platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok allow users 13 and above to sign up.
Meta abandoned development of a version of its Instagram app for teens three years ago after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to abandon it, citing security concerns.
In July, the US Senate introduced two online safety bills—the Children’s Online Safety Act and the Children and Youth Online Privacy Protection Act—that would force social media companies to regulate how their platforms affect children and teens.
As part of the update, Instagram users under the age of 18 will receive a notification to close the app after 60 minutes each day. These accounts will also have preset sleep modes that will silence notifications at night.
Meta said it will put identified users on teen accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia within 60 days, and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will get teen accounts starting in January.
