Instagram launches ‘Teen Accounts’ with restricted features

Instagram’s parent company, Meta has launched Teen Accounts.

The new account is to help protect under 18 users and enhance their safety on the platform.

Announcing the development in a statement on Tuesday, Meta said all under 18 users will be automatically converted to Instagram teen accounts, which will be set to private by default.

The teen accounts will only receive messages from people they are already connected to or follow.

Meta noted that “the platform will limit sensitive content including violence, videos promoting cosmetic procedures and filter out offensive words and phrases from direct message requests and comments”.

The feature will allow teenagers to get notifications telling them to leave the app after 60 minutes each day.

“Also, a sleep mode will automatically mute notifications from 10pm to 7am, and auto-reply to messages telling people to contact the user during daytime.

“Under 16 users will need parental permission to modify the default settings while age 16 and 17 will be allowed to disable the settings without needing parent approval.”

Parents will have access to a set of tools that let them monitor their children’s interactions and restrict app usage.

The feature, expected to start rolling out within 60 days in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, will give parents access to a set of tools that allow them monitor their children’s interactions and restrict app usage.

Other countries will start to get theirs by January 2025.