New Instagram Features Target Teen Safety to Safeguard Minors

Instagram is set to revamp its privacy settings for users under 18, targeting the safety of its younger users in response to growing concerns. The app’s move comes as lawmakers are also pushing for more robust online safety regulations to better safeguard minors from online dangers.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, explained, “We decided to focus on what parents think because they know better what’s appropriate for their children than any tech company, any private company, any senator or policymaker, or staffer or regulator.” He described the new “Teen Accounts” initiative as aiming to “essentially default” minors into age-appropriate experiences on the app.

The app will make all such accounts private by default, restrict notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to promote better sleep, and introduce new parental controls that will allow parents to see the accounts their teenagers have recently messaged. However, the updates may not be welcomed by all teenagers. Those who use Instagram to grow their public profiles might find the new privacy settings restrictive. 

The new changes will begin rolling out immediately, starting with new accounts for users who identify as minors.

Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, remarked, “These are long overdue features that Instagram should have put in place years ago to keep young people safe online.” Despite these new measures, concerns remain about their effectiveness.