Popular photo-sharing platform Instagram, over the years, has evolved into a place with multiple possibilities. Reels are among the widely used features, where content on various topics is shared and viewed by billions monthly. While this can be fun if used in the right way, the internet is not always a safe space. This is why Instagram is further tightening teen accounts with new changes to limit what they can see.
Instagram adds more restrictions to teen accounts
Meta, by further tightening the teen accounts, appears to be filling the safety gaps. The new changes will not allow teens to follow or see content from accounts that consistently share age-inappropriate content or “age-inappropriate” based on their bio or username. These accounts will not appear in teens’ recommendations or in search results in the app, as per Meta.
It will also block “a wider range of mature search terms” for teens, including words like gore, alcohol, and intentional misspellings of these words. Furthermore, teens won’t be able to see a post anywhere on the platform that’s against the new rules, even if it’s from an account they follow. This is applicable via direct messages as well. Teens can’t opt out of the settings without parents’ approval.
Teens can’t opt out of these new changes themselves
Instagram teen accounts aim to make the platform a safe place for teens between 13 and 17. The new changes are meant to make the content teens come across feel more like a PG-13 movie. While Instagram knows that there are differences between movies and social media, the new changes to Instagram feel like watching a PG-13 movie.
“Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram – but we’re going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible,” said the tech giant in a blog post.
More parental controls
Instagram is also adding a new “limited content” setting for parents wanting even tighter restrictions. This filters even more content from teens’ view, but it hasn’t specified what exactly it means. The setting also prevents teens from seeing or leaving comments on the platform, either on their own posts or other users.
Meta is also testing a new reporting feature for parents. With this feature, parents can flag posts that they feel are not suitable. Meta says that it’ll send the specific content to its teams for prioritized review.
The new Instagram changes are rolling out to teen accounts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Meta says that it’ll add additional age-appropriate content protections for teens on Facebook eventually.
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