New Delhi: In a move aimed at providing a safer online environment for teenagers, Meta has launched new Teen Accounts on Instagram. These accounts come equipped with built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they can see, offering parents greater peace of mind.
According to Meta, the development of Teen Accounts was driven by the need to address parents’ top concerns, including their teens’ online interactions, the content they are exposed to, and the overall quality of their time spent on the platform. These new protections are automatically turned on, ensuring a safer experience for younger users.
ALSO READ: Honeywell India Enlists Prashanth Balarama as Senior Director of Communications
Key features of Teen Accounts include:
- Private accounts by default: Teens will have private accounts, meaning they need to approve new followers.
- Messaging restrictions: Only people teens follow or are already connected to can message them.
- Sensitive content restrictions: Teens will automatically be placed into the most restrictive setting, limiting exposure to sensitive content.
- Limited interactions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow.
- Time limit reminders: Teens will receive notifications after 60 minutes of daily usage.
- Sleep mode: Sleep mode will be enabled between 10 PM and 7 AM, muting notifications and sending auto-replies to DMs.
Meta plans to transition teens into Teen Accounts within 60 days in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The feature will be introduced in the European Union later this year, and starting in January, teens worldwide will begin to receive Teen Accounts.
With these enhanced safety features, Meta aims to create a more positive and secure online experience for teenagers, fostering a sense of trust and confidence among parents.
