Natalie Johnson, 8848’s social and content head looks at today’s news from Instagram that promises enhanced safety measures for teen accounts.
Instagram has introduced significant updates to its platform, prioritising the safety and well-being of teenage users. These changes include stricter privacy settings, parental controls, and measures to protect young people from harmful content.
Teen accounts, designed for users aged 13 to 15, will now have privacy settings enabled by default. This means posts will be private, and new followers must be approved. Additionally, sensitive content recommendations will be restricted, and notifications will be muted overnight.
Visibility
Parents can now oversee their child’s account, gaining visibility into their messaging activity and interests. However, they cannot access the content of private messages.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, emphasises the importance of these changes in providing parents with peace of mind and ensuring their teens are safe online. While the company has made significant strides, concerns remain about the effectiveness of these measures and the need for ongoing improvements.
More protection
Critics argue that social media platforms should take more proactive steps to prevent harmful content from proliferating in the first place. UK children’s charity, the NSPCC has called for stronger measures to protect children from sexual abuse and harmful content.
The new teen accounts are being rolled out in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. There are plans to expand to the EU later this year.
Key Changes:
- Stricter privacy settings: Default private accounts, restricted sensitive content recommendations, and muted notifications.
- Parental controls: Parents can oversee their child’s account, view messaging activity, and interests.
- Age verification: Instagram uses AI to detect teens using adult accounts and redirect them to appropriate accounts.
While these changes are a positive step, it’s essential to remain vigilant and advocate for ongoing improvements in online safety for young people.