(ABC 6 News) – The fourth most popular teen social media network is taking significant steps to protect those users.

Meta has announced major changes to its Instagram platform, aimed at enhancing the safety of
its teenage users. These changes include preventing non-followers from seeing teens’ posts,
restricting usage time, and allowing parents to monitor their children’s interactions. Three of
parents’ greatest concerns.

Key Changes for Teen Accounts

• Privacy by Default: All teen accounts will be set to private, ensuring that only approved followers can view their posts and send them messages.
• Content Restrictions: Sensitive and inappropriate content will be limited by default.
• Parental Supervision: Parents will have the ability to see who their teens are chatting with and set daily time limits for Instagram usage. Instagram will automatically prevent use by teenagers between the hours of 10 PM and 7 AM.
• Age Verification: Stricter age verification measures will be implemented to prevent underage users from creating adult accounts.

The new settings apply to all Instagram accounts held by people 18 and under. 17 and
18-year-olds can turn their profiles to public but those held by 16 year olds and younger will
need parental approvement.

Impact and Effectiveness

These changes represent a significant step by a social media platform to address concerns
about online safety for young people. However, their effectiveness remains to be seen. Meta,
Instagram’s parent company, risks losing teen users who may prefer platforms with fewer
restrictions.

While these new features are a positive development, it’s important for parents to remain
actively involved in their teens’ online activities. Open communication and education about
responsible social media use are crucial for ensuring a safe and positive online experience.

Nearly half of us teenagers use Instagram at least once a day Pew Research

New default settings are rolling out now.