Instagram Rolls Out Accounts with Parental Controls: Many of us have the Instagram app on our mobile devices and enjoy watching Reels. However, some inappropriate content is also shared through these Reels, which can negatively impact children’s minds. In response to these concerns, Meta Platforms (META) has made a significant decision.
Meta has introduced new privacy and parental control rules for Instagram accounts belonging to children under the age of 18 to address the growing worries about the negative effects of social media. Starting Tuesday, all accounts for users under 18 will be converted into “Teen Accounts.” Such users can only receive messages and tags from accounts they follow or are already connected to. Additionally, sensitive content will be restricted, and users under 18 can only change default settings with parental permission. Parents will receive a list of settings to monitor who their kids are communicating with and can also limit their children’s use of Instagram.
Experts have noted that social media use can lead to issues like depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities in children, prompting this step. Kids are becoming increasingly addicted to social media platforms, including Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube.
Teen Accounts
This initiative by Meta comes after three years of discussions regarding online safety for teenagers. In July, the U.S. Senate introduced two bills: 1. The Kids Online Safety Act and 2. The Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act. These bills aim to hold social media companies accountable for their impact on teenagers using their platforms.
Instagram users under the age of 18 will now be prompted to close the app after 60 minutes of usage each day. Additionally, accounts will come with a default sleep mode, which will disable notifications overnight. Meta has stated that it will begin placing teen users in these accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia, with a rollout for teenagers in Europe later this year. Teen accounts will start to be available globally in January.
