Instagram to Automatically Convert Teen Accounts to Private

Recently, Meta has taken a new decision to address concerns about the online safety of minors, particularly boys and girls under 18 years of age. The company has announced enhanced privacy and parental control guidelines for Instagram accounts belonging to users under 18. 

As part of these measures, Meta will automatically convert specific Instagram accounts of individuals under 18 to "Teen Accounts," which will be set to private by default.

One of the key changes is that users of these accounts will only be able to receive messages from accounts they follow or are already connected to, and only they can be tagged in a post. Additionally, users under the age of 16 will require parental permission to modify the default settings of their Instagram accounts.

Parents will have the ability to monitor their children's interactions and manage the usage of their Instagram accounts. This move comes in response to studies indicating that many young users experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties due to their social media activities.

Notably, Meta, along with platforms like TikTok and YouTube, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits related to the impact of social media on children. Last year, 33 US states filed lawsuits against a company for allegedly downplaying the risks associated with its platforms.

In a new update, Instagram will also prompt users under 18 to take a break after 60 minutes of app usage each day and will automatically enter sleep mode at night.