What are Instagram teen-accounts and what protections do they give to under-16s?

Children under 16 will now have their Instagram accounts overseen by their parents or guardians, thanks to Meta launching teen accounts in a major security update.

The announcement comes as social media platforms continue to face regulatory pressure to better protect users, particularly children, from harmful content online.

The Online Safety Act, which will require companies to safeguard children from such content, will come into force in the UK next year.

Platforms, such as Instagram, have been criticised for not effectively protecting young users from harmful content on their platforms.

Many campaigners are calling for stronger regulations to force companies to take action.

Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg, now Meta’s president of global affairs, said the change aimed to “shift the balance in favour of parents” when it came to using parental controls, while also hoping it would “act as a catalyst for a wider debate” around enhanced online safety tools.

So what are Instagram teen accounts?

Teen accounts are a new system where Instagram users under 16 will need a parent or guardian’s permission to change default settings.

These include automatic privacy, messaging restrictions to only existing contacts, and Meta’s strictest sensitive content filters.

Starting Tuesday, new teenage users on Instagram will be assigned to a Teen Account, Meta said.

Existing users will begin transitioning to the new system next week, with plans to have teenagers in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia on the new accounts within two months, and those in the EU later this year.

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What other protections do they give to under-16s?

Teen accounts will have limited interactions, allowing only people they follow can tag or mention them.

They will also receive a notification to leave the app after an hour of daily use.

A sleep mode will be enabled by default, muting notifications and auto-replying to direct messages from 10pm to 7am.

Parents or guardians can view who their teenager has messaged in the past seven days, but not the content of the messages.

They can also set daily time limits for Instagram use, block app access during specific times, and view the topics their child has been looking at.

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