Meta Platforms Inc. has announced that it is introducing Instagram 'Teen Accounts', which will come with new "built-in protections." The new account experience mainly targets teenagers under the age of 16 years, bringing with it several changes to how they interact on Instagram.
Account holders under the age of 16 years will automatically have their accounts reconfigured to 'Teen Accounts'. This will work retroactively as well as for any new users joining the social media platform. The platform will now limit who can contact such users and the content they see, while still providing avenues to explore their interests.
The 'Teen Accounts' come with parental restrictions, which include the following:
Private Accounts: Teenagers will no longer be able to keep their accounts public. Going forward, they'll need to accept new followers and people who don't follow them can't see their content.
Messaging Restrictions: Only the people teens are connected to or are following can message each other.
Content Restrictions: Teens will be moved to the strictest content control settings, limiting content like violence, suicide or cosmetic surgery from showing up in their 'Explore' and 'Reels' pages.
Time Limit: Parents can now set a limit on how long their teens spend time on Instagram. Once that limit expires, teens will no longer be able to access the app until it resets.
Notifications: Teen accounts will now go into 'Sleep Mode' between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., muting notifications and sending auto-replies to any direct messages.
Parental Control
To change any of the default settings on 'Teen Accounts', those under the age of 16 will now have to add their parents' accounts to their accounts. This gives parents access to various insights into how their child is using their Instagram account, as well as being actively involved in how they interact with the platform.
Meta has said that within the next 60 days it plans to place teenagers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia into 'Teen Accounts', with the changes likely coming to the European Union next year. There's no mention of when it's coming to the Eastern Hemisphere just yet.
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