Instagram Unveils ‘Teen Accounts’ With Features Of Safety For Teenage Users

The feature will begin rolling out in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia within the next 60 days, with global availability expected by January.

Photos sharing platform, Instagram has unveiled a new feature, dubbed ‘teen accounts,’ designed to enhance the safety and privacy of users under the age of 18.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, announced the feature in a blog post on Tuesday, September 17.

According to Meta, all accounts belonging to users under 18 will be automatically switched to Instagram teen accounts, with several privacy and safety settings enabled by default.

This move is part of the platform’s broader effort to create a safer environment for young users.

One of the key updates is that teen accounts will now only receive direct messages from individuals they follow or are already connected with.

Additionally, Instagram will implement restrictions on sensitive content, such as violent material or videos promoting cosmetic procedures, while offensive words and phrases will be filtered from comments and direct message requests.

To promote healthier usage, Instagram will notify teenagers to take a break after 60 minutes of daily app use.

A new “sleep mode” feature will also mute notifications between 10 pm and 7 am, automatically sending responses to messages advising contacts to reach out during the daytime.

For users under 16, parental consent will be required to change the default safety settings.

However, teenagers aged 16 and 17 can modify the settings without parental approval.

Parents will also have access to tools that allow them to monitor their children’s app activity and set limits on usage.

The feature will begin rolling out in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia within the next 60 days, with global availability expected by January.

Meta also revealed plans to extend the teen accounts feature to its other social media platforms by 2025.