Meta is bringing its Instagram Teen Accounts to India to enhance online safety for younger users. Designed to create a more secure and age-appropriate digital space, these accounts come with built-in safeguards — stricter privacy settings, reduced exposure to unwanted interactions, and parental controls.
There is a suite of default safeguards for users under 16. Any changes to these restrictions will require parental approval, reinforcing an extra layer of oversight. Private accounts are the default setting, meaning teens must approve new followers, and non-followers can’t interact with their content—a rule that applies to all users under 16 and new users under 18.
Messaging restrictions prevent teens from receiving messages from strangers, allowing only people they already follow or are connected with to reach out. Sensitive content controls are automatically set to the most restrictive level, limiting exposure to content like physical fights or cosmetic procedure promotions on Explore and Reels.
Interaction limitations ensure that teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, while the Hidden Words feature filters out offensive language in comments and message requests. To keep screen time in check, time limit reminders will nudge teens to take a break after 60 minutes of daily usage, and Sleep Mode kicks in from 10 PM to 7 AM, muting notifications and sending automatic replies overnight.
Beyond the built-in safety features, Instagram’s Teen Accounts also offer additional parental supervision tools to keep a closer eye on young users. Parents can monitor recent conversations, viewing a list of people their teen has messaged in the past seven days—without reading the actual messages.
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To manage screen time, they can set daily limits, after which Instagram becomes inaccessible for the day. For even more control, parents can block access during specific hours, ensuring Instagram stays off-limits at night or during designated times with just a quick toggle.
Meta is also tightening the reins on Instagram with a new age verification feature, aiming to keep young users from fudging their birthdates. To ensure teens aren’t slipping through the cracks, additional verification steps will kick in under certain conditions—like when someone tries to sign up with a suspiciously grown-up birthdate.