Instagram is launching Teen Accounts aimed at limiting younger users’ access and providing parents with more control over their children’s app settings.
New users under 16 will automatically be assigned a Teen Account when they sign up, while existing teen users will be notified of the change and transitioned to this new account type starting next week.
Teen Accounts will be private by default, with restrictions that only parents can adjust. For instance, teens will only be able to message, tag, or mention people they follow. They’ll also receive prompts to take a break after using the app for 60 minutes daily, and a Sleep mode will activate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., muting notifications and sending auto-responses to messages.
In addition to basic controls, content recommendations will also be restricted, with Instagram placing sensitive and harmful material, like violence or cosmetic procedure promotions, in the strictest settings for teens. Instagram also introduces a new feature allowing teens to choose the topics they want to see more of in the Explore section.
Parents will have access to tools that let them see who their children are messaging (without viewing the content), set daily time limits, schedule app usage times, and monitor their teen’s followed topics.
Teens will need to set up parental supervision if they wish to alter any of these settings, with parents having the final say on whether to approve or deny their requests.
Instagram acknowledges that some users may lie about their age to create adult accounts and is developing technology to detect and assign the proper account type.
Instagram plans to roll out Teen Accounts to all users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia within 60 days. In the EU, the transition will be completed by the end of the year, with the rest of the world following by January.
