(qlmbusinessnews.com Wed. 18th Sept, 2024) London, UK —
“New Instagram Teen Accounts: Enhanced Privacy and Parental Supervision Explained”
Instagram is introducing new safety measures aimed at boosting privacy for teenagers, while providing parents with greater control over their children’s accounts. The updated “teen accounts” feature, rolling out from Tuesday in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, will implement stricter privacy settings for users under 18, with children aged 13 to 15 requiring parental supervision to adjust these settings.
The new measures will set accounts to private by default for teens, making their content unviewable to users who do not follow them. Additionally, teens must now approve new followers. Parents will be able to supervise their child's account, seeing who they message and the topics of interest, although the content of messages will remain private.
The overhaul comes as social media platforms face increasing pressure to create safer environments for young users, particularly in light of growing concerns about harmful content. UK children's charity NSPCC welcomed the changes as a “step in the right direction”, but emphasised the need for proactive measures to prevent harmful material, such as sexual abuse, from spreading on the platform.
Meta, Instagram‘s parent company, describes the update as a “new experience for teens, guided by parents”. It asserts the new tools will provide parents peace of mind by ensuring their children are protected online.
However, some remain cautious about the effectiveness of these measures. Ian Russell, father of Molly Russell, who took her life after viewing harmful content on Instagram, expressed the need for transparency in how Meta enforces these policies. He stated, “Meta is very good at making big announcements, but they must also be good at showing how well their measures work.”
Teen accounts will come with built-in restrictions on sensitive content, preventing recommendations of potentially harmful material. Notifications will also be muted overnight, and sensitive content will be blocked by default.
Despite these advancements, critics argue that more needs to be done. A study by Ofcom revealed that nearly every child surveyed had encountered harmful material online, with Instagram frequently mentioned. The UK's Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to safeguard children from harmful content, is expected to come into full force by 2025, threatening platforms with severe penalties for non-compliance.
While Instagram is increasing its protections, questions remain over whether these changes are enough to truly shield young people from the vast amount of harmful content online. Social media expert Paolo Pescatore highlighted the significance of these steps but emphasised the need for more parental control to safeguard children’s digital well-being.
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