Science and Tech

Instagram introduces Teen Accounts, with built-in protection features by default

Instagram Teen Accounts Interface

Instagram Teen Accounts Interface – GOAL

September 17 (Portaltic/EP) –

Instagram has presented the new Teen Accountsa new parent- or guardian-led experience for teens that incorporates built-in protection features that limit who can contact them and what content they see.

Meta, the parent company of the social network, has acknowledged that it is aware that parents want to ensure that their teenage children use social networks to connect with their friends and explore interests “without having to worry about unsafe or inappropriate experiences,” according to a press release.

Because it understands these concerns, it has designed a type of account aimed at minors, presented as an experience created to give greater support to parents and give them peace of mind that their children are safe online and with the appropriate protections.

Instagram will automatically assign Teen Accounts to these users, while those under 16 will need their parents’ permission when making any changes. any changes to the settings, to make them less strict.

The social network has first indicated that these new accounts are private by default, so that teenagers will have to accept their new followers and the people who do not follow them. They will not be able to see their content or interact with them.

Their messaging settings will also be stricter, meaning they can only receive messages from people they follow or are already connected to. On the other hand, these underage users can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow.

Also, the most restrictive version of the functionality will be automatically activated in your accounts. the app against bullying, called Restricted Words. This will filter out offensive terms and phrases in comments and direct message requests.

Teenagers will also have access to the most restrictive setting for sensitive content control Instagram, which limits the type of content they are exposed to, such as fights or the promotion of cosmetic procedures on the Reels and Explore tabs.

Additionally, they will receive notifications advising them to exit the app after using it for 60 minutes each day and the sleep mode will be activated in your accounts automatically from 10 pm until 7 am the following day.

Adults, for their part, will be able to know who their teenage children are chatting with, set daily limits – once reached, it will not be possible to access the app again – and block the use of Instagram in these accounts for specific periods of time.

Parents can also activate parental supervision on these accounts and approve any changes from the Settings section, regardless of the teenager’s age. However, they can also allow the teenagers themselves to manage their settings.

Starting today, teens who sign up for Instagram will be assigned a Teen Account by default, and those who already use the social network will be notified of the changes and will begin moving them to a Teen Account starting next week.

These accounts will first be available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. They will be available in the European Union countries at the end of this year. In January, therefore, teenagers around the world will start to have an account according to their age and these will be available for other Meta platforms in 2025.

MORE WAYS TO VERIFY AGE

Finally, Instagram has indicated that because teens can lie about their age, it has implemented new ways to verify their age on more sites and that it is developing new technologies to do so.Find accounts that belong to teenagerseven if they include an adult’s birthday.

“This technology will allow us to proactively find these teens and apply the same protections that the Teen Account setup offers,” the company said. The feature will begin testing in the United States early next year.

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