Instagram’s New Teen Accounts – Progress in Privacy or Too Little, Too Late?

Instagram is stepping into a new age, one that digs deep into how its youngest users interact with the platform. This week, Meta began introducing “teen accounts”—a fresh layer of privacy and control designed to keep teenagers more secure, regardless of whether they have been honest about their age or not. It is an overdue shift, one that offers parents a better hand in guiding what their kids can see, do, and experience while being online.

Instagram has introduced “Teen Accounts”, a new feature designed for teens with parental guidance.

These accounts have built-in protections to control who can contact them and limit the content they see. Teens can also explore their interests safely. pic.twitter.com/a1fuxWp9a2

— ㆅ (@howfxr) September 17, 2024

For years, Instagram has been criticized, accused of playing a role in the mental health crises plaguing many teens— stories of exploitation, anxiety, and even tragedies that point fingers at the platform’s influence. These new teen accounts don’t erase those histories, but they seem to recognize that something had to give. Meta’s effort to corral its scattered attempts into one coherent safety net suggests that they are finally thinking about it and determined to address these issues with a bit more gravity.

Naomi Gleit, one of the leading minds behind Meta’s product development, described this latest push as one that’s both sweeping and long overdue. Every teen user, including those navigating the space as influencers or content creators, will be automatically shifted into these new accounts. For parents willing to stay involved, they’ll have the power to decide whether their teen can keep a public profile, but that decision won’t be made lightly. There are no more hidden corners for teenagers to slip away unnoticed; every move will require some level of adult oversight.

This isn’t something that will happen overnight. New accounts will be corralled into these restrictions right away, but those who have been on the platform for a while might not see the changes until next year. The protections, though, go beyond simply making things private— Meta is putting up a digital cover that might obstruct more harmful content. “Hidden Words,” a feature designed to scrub out offensive language, will be activated automatically, making it harder for hurtful words to worm their way into teens’ direct messages or comments.

Just hours ago @instagram announced it will be using new “teen account” settings. This means that accounts for users under the age of 18 will automatically be set to private starting next week. pic.twitter.com/nZKyd50BVP

— Lindsay Arons (@lindsayarons) September 17, 2024

And Meta knows what it’s up against. Teens cannot be easily fooled and will likely try to find the loopholes in this system. To stop them, Meta plans to employ stricter age verification measures— demanding government IDs or even video selfies from users trying to set up new accounts with false birthdays. They’ve gone further, developing AI tools to sniff out patterns of behavior that don’t match the age a user has entered. If someone claims to be an adult but acts like a teen, the system will catch it, and age verification will be required.

Parents opting for more control will find new features waiting for them. They’ll be able to see who their teens are messaging, though the content of those messages remains private. They’ll also be able to view which topics their kids are exploring. The new “Sleep Mode” will silence notifications during the late hours, prompting teens to disconnect and reconnect to the real world.

Instagram launches new protections for teenagers, giving parents access to their child’s account from their own phone.

Meta’s Vice President and Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis joins @dianermacedo to discuss how this new feature works.

More: https://t.co/qvsOzX63C8 pic.twitter.com/veuBkL4ReS

— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) September 17, 2024

But not everyone is impressed by these changes. Critics argue that Meta’s efforts may be too little, too late, and that self-regulation is not enough to protect vulnerable users. Groups like Accountable Tech have called for government intervention, insisting that the platform’s deep-rooted issues go beyond what parental controls can fix. After all, Meta’s business thrives on keeping users engaged— and the gap between safety and profit might be thinner than it appears.

Instagram’s new measure to protect young users.

New teen account settings on Instagram will make accounts for users under 18 private and place restrictions on messaging and the kind of content they can view. pic.twitter.com/hZvq9Uyfx2

— NTD News (@NTDNews) September 17, 2024

These changes may signal progress, but the conversation around protecting young minds online is far from over. The digital world is vast, and keeping it safe for teens will require more than just filters and parental settings— it’ll take a broader reckoning with how these platforms operate.

Major points

• Meta introduces “teen accounts” to enhance privacy and parental control for young users.
• Teen accounts will automatically filter harmful content and activate features like “Hidden Words” to block offensive language.
• Stricter age verification, including AI detection and video selfies, aims to stop teens from falsifying their age.
• New parental features allow oversight on messaging contacts and “Sleep Mode” to curb late-night use.
• Critics argue the changes may not go far enough, calling for government regulation to address deeper platform issues.

Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News