Instagram has rolled out its new Teen Accounts feature, representing one of Meta’s most significant attempts to enhance safety for its younger users online.

Any new user under 18 will automatically receive a Teen Account, which imposes limitations on what they can see and who can contact them while providing parents with more authority over their teens’ social media activities.

This initiative comes as Meta faces scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe due to claims that its platforms have negative impacts on youth mental health and are designed to be addictive.

In October, over 40 states filed a federal lawsuit against the social media giant, alleging that the company profits from ad revenue by deliberately creating features on Instagram and Facebook that keep teens online longer.

At that time, Meta stated its commitment to ensuring safe and positive online experiences for teenagers, and expressed disappointment that the attorneys general chose legal action instead of collaborating on creating age-appropriate standards for popular apps used by teens.

Now, users can expect to see some of the promised modifications.

What is an Instagram Teen Account?

Teen Accounts are automatically created for every new Instagram user younger than 18, regulating their interactions within the app and giving parents particular controls over their teen’s online experience.

These accounts feature specific restrictions intended to limit activities for teens, which include guidelines on messaging and the visibility of inappropriate content, automatically private accounts, and parental time limits.

While these settings can be adjusted to allow for greater flexibility, teens under 16 will require their parent’s consent to make such changes.

Instagram stated, “We understand that parents desire reassurance that their teens can engage on social media safely, connecting with friends and exploring interests without exposing them to harmful or inappropriate situations.” The platform aims to create an environment better aligned with parental concerns, ensuring the right safeguards are in place.

The content visible on Teen Accounts is filtered with strict controls, unable to show anything categorized as “sensitive,” even if it comes from a user they follow. These accounts are also programmed to avoid suggesting any content flagged as sensitive. This applies across all formats, including regular posts, Reels, and suggested accounts.

Sensitive content includes sexually suggestive material, discussions on topics like suicide and self-harm, violence, and posts about cosmetic procedures.

Additionally, teenagers will have access to a new Explore feature that lets them pick subjects they are interested in, tailoring their feed even further.

Messaging is also limited for Teen Accounts; messages can only come from people they follow or are already connected with. Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, and these accounts utilize Instagram’s strictest anti-bullying protocols, which filter out offensive language in comments and direct message requests.

How will Instagram enforce Teen Accounts?

Instagram aims to uphold these age restrictions, even if teens attempt to bypass them by misrepresenting their age or trying to control each other’s accounts.

Creators will need to confirm their age through identification, and Instagram will incorporate further verification measures. Since 2022, adolescents have had to authenticate their age via a video selfie or identification check if they wish to change their birthday from age 18 and over.

If a teen tries to modify their birthday from a younger age to an older one, the system mandates age verification with ID.

Additional measures will include using data from a user’s original account to stop them from creating a new account under an adult age or connecting their accounts to those listed as adults.

Moreover, Instagram is developing an AI model capable of identifying users who may be underage, even if they input an adult date of birth during account registration. This AI will analyze indicators like the type of content interacted with and account behavior to determine age likelihood.

The technology, which is still in development, might automatically transition an account to a teen version. However, account owners will have the option to adjust this feature.

Features for Parental Control

Parental controls play a crucial role in the upcoming Teen Accounts, influenced by the feedback regarding parents’ primary concerns.

Parents can establish supervision settings on their teenagers’ accounts, enabling them to either approve or reject their teens’ requests for changes or to let the teens manage their settings independently. Additionally, parents have access to optional monitoring tools.

Through these tools, parents can observe the topics that interest their teens and have insight into their chat interactions. While parents are unable to read their children’s messages or see specific posts they’ve viewed, they can view whom their teen has messaged in the last week and which topics they have chosen to engage with on their feeds.

Other parental tools provide the ability to limit Instagram usage time. These include:

• Time Limit Notifications: Teens will receive alerts prompting them to log off after spending one hour on the app each day.
• Sleep Mode Activation: This feature will activate between 10 PM and 7 AM, muting notifications overnight and sending automatic replies to direct messages.
• Establish Daily Time Limits for Teen Instagram Use: Parents can set the total time their teen can spend on Instagram daily. Once their teen reaches that limit, they will be unable to access the app.

How to Set Up an Instagram Teen Account

As of Tuesday, Instagram is categorizing all users under 18 who create a new account as Teen Accounts. However, existing teenage accounts will not be automatically converted just yet.

The company has stated that they aim to transition existing accounts for teens to Teen Accounts in the following 60 days for users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, with plans to extend this to other regions starting in January.