Instagram rolls out teen accounts with privacy, parental controls as scrutiny mounts By Reuters

(Reuters) – Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:MT) is rolling out improved privacy and parental control features for Instagram accounts for users under 18 in a major overhaul aimed at addressing growing concerns about the negative effects of social media.

Meta said Tuesday it will automatically move all custom Instagram accounts to “teen accounts,” which will be private by default.

Users of these accounts can only be messaged or tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be set to the most restrictive level available.

Users under 16 can only change the default settings with parental permission. Parents will also have a range of settings to monitor who their children interact with and limit their use of the app.

Several studies have linked social media use to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties, especially among younger users.

Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube are already facing hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of children and school districts over the addictive nature of social media. Last year, 33 US states, including California and New York, sued the company for allegedly misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms.

Leading platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, allow users aged 13 and over to sign up.

Meta’s move comes three years after it abandoned development of a version of Instagram tailored for teens, after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to drop it, citing safety concerns.

In July, the U.S. Senate introduced two online safety bills — the Children’s Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act — that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms impact children and teens.

As part of the update, Instagram users under the age of 18 will be notified that the app will be closed after 60 minutes each day. Accounts will also come with a default sleep mode that will stop notifications overnight.

Meta said it will place identified users into teen accounts within 60 days in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will start getting teen accounts in January.