Instagram rolls out teen accounts with new limits

Teenagers on their smartphones — Meta is "under pressure from lawmakers, advocates and a groundswell of public opinion"

(Image credit: Matt Cardy / Getty Images)

What happened

Meta announced on Tuesday that all users under 18 will have their Instagram accounts modified. The new "teen accounts" will be private by default, meaning only followers they approve can see their posts, and users 13 to 15 won't be able to change the settings without parental consent. Parents will also be able to see who their teens message, though not the content of the exchanges, and notifications will be muted from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to promote sleep.

Who said what

Parents say they are most concerned about inappropriate contact, unsavory content and limiting screen time. "We decided to focus on what parents think because they know better what's appropriate for their children than any tech company, any private company, any senator or policymaker or staffer or regulator," Instagram head Adam Mosseri said to The New York Times.

The changes are "long overdue" and "should have been put in place years ago," said Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer to the Times. But Meta is "only acting now because they're under pressure from lawmakers, advocates and a groundswell of public opinion." It's also unclear how effective the changes will be, the Times said. "Meta has promised to protect minors from inappropriate contact and content since at least 2007," with "varying degrees of success."

What next?

Teenagers already on Instagram in the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia will be migrated to the new accounts within 60 days, and Meta said it will begin using AI tools in January to identify users who lied about their age when creating their account.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.