Meta’s ubiquitous Instagram social media platform is revamping its Teen Accounts as part of a wholesale effort to protect those under the age of 13 from consuming content deemed unsuitable for tweens and younger children. To do so, it is taking a cue from the Motion Picture Association of America.
Instagram Teen Accounts will now be guided by PG-13 movie ratings. This means Teens will see content that’s similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie, by default.
There’s more: Parents who prefer extra controls can also choose a new, stricter setting. Plus, parents will get new ways to share feedback, including the ability to report content they think teens shouldn’t see.
Teens under 18 will be automatically placed into an updated 13+ setting, and they won’t be able to opt out without a parent’s permission. “And because we know that all families are different, we’re also introducing a new, stricter setting for parents who prefer a more restrictive experience for their teen,” Instagram noted in a Tuesday announcement, adding that it invited “thousands of parents worldwide to share their feedback with us, helping us shape these changes and ensure our efforts align with their expectations.”
Meta calls it the most significant update to Teen Accounts since we introduced them last year. Will it be as successful as a parent may hope? “We know teens may try to avoid these restrictions, which is why we’ll use age prediction technology to place teens into certain content protections — even if they claim to be adults,” Instagram said.
In a recent survey conducted by Ipsos and commissioned by Meta, 95% of US parents of teens said they think these updated settings will be helpful, and 90% said they’ll make it easier to understand the kind of content their teen is likely to see on Instagram.
