How Instagram plans to protect millions of teens: Will it be enough?

Instagram is rolling out new safety measures for teens with the introduction of special teen accounts, a move meant to make the platform safer for younger users. Starting this week, users under 18 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia will automatically be placed into these new accounts when they sign up. Existing teen users will see their accounts migrated over the next 60 days, while teens in the European Union will see similar changes later this year.

Teens’ accounts will be private by default, meaning only approved followers will be able to see their posts. Private messaging is also restricted to only people they follow or are already connected to. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, says these changes are in response to concerns about online safety, privacy and the negative impact social media can have on young people.

Addressing security concerns

Meta has faced increasing pressure to make its platforms safer for teenagers. The company has been accused of allowing harmful content, cyberbullying and excessive social media use to affect the Mental health of young people. With these new accounts for teenagers, Meta hopes to tackle these issues head on. One of the main concerns the changes address is the type of content teens are exposed to. Instagram will limit “sensitive content,” such as videos of fights or posts promoting cosmetic procedures.

Additionally, Instagram is introducing technology that can identify accounts where teens are posing as adults. These accounts will automatically be moved to teen-restricted accounts. Meta also recognizes that teens can lie about their age, so the platform will now require increased age verification when setting up an account.

Limiting screen time and parental controls

A key feature of teen accounts is a built-in alert that notifies them if they’ve spent more than 60 minutes on the app. They’ll also have access to a “sleep mode,” which turns off notifications and auto-replies to messages between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. These measures are intended to encourage healthier social media habits, though teens over 16 can choose to turn them off. For children under 16, parental permission is required to change these settings.

Parents will also have more control with new monitoring options. Meta’s “parental monitoring” mode allows parents to limit the time their kids spend on Instagram and gain insight into who their teens are messaging and following. According to Naomi Gleit, Meta’s chief product officer, the goal is to help parents better monitor their kids’ online activity and encourage conversations about safe internet use.

Goal under pressure

These changes come at a time when Meta is facing lawsuits from several US states, which accuse the company of harming children and contributing to the youth mental health crisis. Critics argue that while these new measures are a step in the right direction, they may not be enough to protect teens. For example, while the 60-minute usage notification is helpful, teens may still ignore it and continue browsing unless parents turn on stricter controls.

Meta hopes that these new features will give teens and parents more tools to navigate the digital world safely, helping to address current concerns about online safety and the mental well-being of young users.