GUWAHATI: Meta-owned Instagram has reportedly announced the launch of “Teen Accounts” in India, a feature designed to create a safer and more age-appropriate online space for users under 16. According to the company, this initiative reportedly aims to strengthen privacy protections, improve content controls, and offer parents greater oversight of their children's social media activity.
In a blog post, Meta highlighted that Teen Accounts address key concerns such as monitoring teens' online interactions, the type of content they engage with, and their screen time. These safety measures will be enabled by default and cannot be altered without parental approval.
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By default, Instagram Teen Accounts will be set to private, requiring users to manually approve follower requests. This rule also applies to users under 18. Additionally, only approved followers will be able to interact with or message teen users, ensuring that strangers cannot contact them. To further safeguard young users, Meta will limit their exposure to sensitive content, including violent videos or promotional material related to cosmetic products.
Instagram is introducing this feature gradually in phases. Alongside these safety enhancements, teens will only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, and Instagram will filter out offensive language in comments and direct messages. To encourage healthier social media habits, the app will prompt teens to take breaks every hour and activate a "Sleep Mode" from 10 PM to 7 AM, which mutes notifications and auto-replies to messages.
Meta also reportedly announced that parents will soon be able to activate supervision for teens over 16, allowing them to monitor conversations, set daily screen time limits, and restrict app usage during specific hours.
While countries like Australia have introduced laws prohibiting social media access for children under 16, India does not have such legal restrictions. However, the country's Digital Personal Data Protection Act mandates companies to obtain verifiable parental consent for minors. With the introduction of Teen Accounts, it appears Meta is aligning its policies with these regulations.
