Meta Platforms is rolling out new privacy and parental control features for Instagram accounts of users under 18, in response to mounting concerns over social media’s negative impact on teens. This update comes three years after Meta abandoned plans for a teen-specific version of Instagram due to safety concerns raised by lawmakers and advocacy groups.
The new “Teen Accounts” will be private by default, with users only able to be messaged or tagged by people they already follow or are connected with. For users under 16, changes to these default settings will require parental consent. Parents will also gain tools to monitor their children’s activity and control app usage.
Research has linked social media to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties in young users, prompting hundreds of lawsuits against companies like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube. These platforms allow users aged 13 and above to sign up, but concerns over their addictive nature have spurred legislative action.
As part of the update, teens will receive reminders to close the app after 60 minutes of daily use, and a “sleep mode” will silence notifications overnight. The rollout of these changes will start within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU later this year, with a global launch expected in January.
