Instagram’s new ‘teen accounts’: What parents and kids need to know

That’s because, starting Tuesday, Instagram plans to default all new and existing accounts set up by people who have indicated they are younger than 18 to private mode. In that setting, an account holder must approve new followers before they can see, like or comment on their posts.

 

Post by @zuck

View on Threads

 

The changes are part of a new effort by Instagram, called “Teen Accounts,” that packages new and existing safeguards for young people on the app. The company said the settings would help create more age-appropriate experiences for minors.

Instagram’s privacy and other changes may help address intensifying concerns by lawmakers and parent groups about the effects of social media apps on children. But they also risk irking some teenagers — and teen influencers — who are deeply invested in their public profiles.

Here’s what to know about the changes.

How will Instagram change for teenagers?

Besides making all new and existing accounts private by default, Instagram said it would now stop teenagers from receiving Instagram notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The app will also limit sensitive content for minors, such as nudity or discussions about self-harm, and prevent direct messages from people they don’t follow — existing restrictions that the company had previously announced.

The app is also introducing a feature to enable teens to select content themes they’d like to see more of, such as arts or sports.

Instagram said account holders who are 16 or 17 will be able to make their accounts public and change other default settings by themselves. But teenagers younger than 16 will need a parent’s permission to alter the privacy default, sleep mode and other restrictions.

When will teens see the changes to their accounts?

Instagram said it would begin imposing the changes to all newly created accounts, starting this week. Over the next two months, the company said it planned to roll out the privacy and other changes for existing teen accounts in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia. Teenagers in other countries could see the changes starting in January.

Can’t teens simply lie about their age?

Some teenagers may try to circumvent the privacy changes by setting up new Instagram accounts with birth dates that make them seem like adults. The app said it would require those teenagers to verify their ages in various ways, such as by submitting a video selfie for age-estimation analysis.

How can families alter the settings?

For those younger than 16 wanting to change their account settings with parental permission, a family needs to set up the app’s parental supervision tool. The tool also enables adults to see how much time their teenage child is spending on Instagram, set daily time limits or block their teen from using Instagram during certain time periods, like school hours.

New features on the supervision tool will enable parents to see a list of people their teenager has recently messaged as well as content topics their child has elected to see more of.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.