Just over a year after launching “Teen Accounts,” Instagram is announcing two major updates to better protect underage users. Aimed at young people aged 13 to 15, they limit their use and interactions on the social network, imposing private accounts by default and safeguards on people who can contact them.
Restrictions have also been placed on the content they can view. But Instagram, which has been repeatedly accused of harming the mental health of young people, wants to go further and show that it seeks to protect them from sensitive images and videos.
New barrier
To this end, the social network will add a new default barrier to “teenage accounts,” which will reduce their exposure to inappropriate content. Aligned with the classification of American cinema PG-13 (not recommended for children under 13 years of age), this parameter will automatically place children under 18 years of age in the “13+” category, and they will not be able to leave it without the authorization of a parent.
This barrier will hide “any posts that contain foul language, certain challenges considered risky, as well as other content that may encourage potentially harmful behavior,” Instagram detailed in a blog post. Therefore, a minor user will not see a video explaining how to lose 20 kilos in three days or anything that promotes alcohol and tobacco.
These publications will not be recommended either, whether in News Feed, Explore, Reels or Stories, the social network assured. Likewise, a teenager will not be able to open a link to this type of content sent by private message.
This new configuration will go even further, preventing minors from following accounts identified by the platform as regularly sharing content not suitable for their age. Users who follow these accounts will no longer be able to interact with their content, send them private messages, and see their comments on other people’s posts. This protection will work both ways, because these accounts will not be able to follow teens, send them private messages, or comment on their posts.
Through this setting, Instagram will also expand search terms related to sensitive topics that will be automatically blocked. In addition to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, the same will now also apply to other search results such as “alcohol” or “gore.” “We make sure that these terms remain blocked even in the event of a typo,” the social network said.
Enhanced parental control
Called “Limited Content,” the second feature reinforces parental control. It is advertised as “ideal for parents who prefer more restrictive environments for their teenagers.” Until now, you could set a daily usage limit for your kids, get information about the accounts they chat with, and see what topics they view.
With this new feature, which will not be activated by default, you will now have the possibility to limit the searches you can do (“thinspo”, “how to die”…), so that content does not appear for queries that you do not authorize. It will also prevent minors from seeing, leaving or receiving comments under the posts. A way for Instagram to limit age-inappropriate content, Capucine Tuffier, public affairs officer responsible for child protection at Meta France, explained to Tech&Co.
“Starting next year, this setting will also further limit AI conversations that teens can have,” the social network said.
With these two updates, Instagram aims to respond to requests from parents who want greater automatic protection and more visibility over the content their children see. They will be gradually rolled out starting this Tuesday, October 14 in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom to start. Europe will have to wait until early 2026.
The platform is also testing a way for parents to report posts they consider inappropriate, so they are hidden if they aren’t already. “We will send them to our teams for priority review and inform parents of the result,” Instagram promises.
Source: BFM TV
