Instagram to automatically put teens into private accounts with increased restrictions and parental controls

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, is introducing “teen accounts” with stricter privacy settings for teenagers. These accounts will only allow messaging, tagging, and mentions from people they follow. The company aims to address child safety concerns on its platform, including issues like suicides and exploitation. The rollout of these new accounts will not be immediate, and existing users may not see changes right away. The company also plans to use AI technology to predict users’ ages and prevent them from circumventing the new restrictions. Parents will have more control over their teens’ accounts, including the ability to see whom they are messaging and set limits on usage. The goal is to give parents more tools to help their teens navigate the online world safely.