Instagram launches new teen accounts with advanced safety features

Teen accounts will limit who can contact teens and the content they see, and help ensure their time is well spent.

Instagram has launched Instagram teen accounts, a new experience for teens, guided by parents. Teen accounts have built-in protections which limit who can contact them and the content they see, and also provide new ways for teens to explore their interests. Instagram will automatically place teens into teen accounts, and teens under 16 will need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings to be less strict.

With this addition, teens will also get access to a new feature, made just for them, that lets them select topics they want to see more of in Explore and their recommendations so they can focus on the fun, positive content they love.

Teens under 16 will need their parent’s permission to use less protective settings. To get permission, teens will need to set up parental supervision on Instagram. If parents want more oversight over their older teen’s (16+) experiences, they simply have to turn on parental supervision. Then, they can approve any changes to these settings, irrespective of their teen’s age.

Meta plans to place teens into teen accounts within 60 days in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and to start placing them in teen accounts in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will start to get teen accounts in January. It will also bring teen accounts to other Meta platforms next year. 

Additionally, Meta requires teens to verify their age in more places, like if they attempt to use a new account with an adult birthday. It is also building technology to proactively find accounts belonging to teens, even if the account lists an adult birthday. This technology will allow it to proactively find these teens and place them in the same protections offered by teen account settings.