Instagram Revamps Teen Privacy! What’s Changing?

Are social media platforms harming our teens? 

A growing number of experts and lawsuits suggest that there's a serious connection between heavy social media use and mental health problems in young people. 

Studies show that excessive screen time can lead to depression, anxiety, and even self-harm, particularly among girls.

Lawsuits against tech giants like TikTok, Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram), and Snap are on the rise.

Considering teen privacy, Instagram has introduced updates that give parents more control over their teen's messaging and content settings.

What’s New in Instagram Teen Privacy?

With the increasing popularity of social media platforms, it's essential to understand the privacy settings and tools available to protect youngsters.

NEW: Teens on Instagram are automatically being moved to more restricted + protective settings

This will change who can contact them, what content they see + how much time they spend online

Teens under 16 will need their parent’s permission to use less protective settings pic.twitter.com/8K4QPlmP9E

— Lia Haberman (@liahaberman) September 17, 2024

Instagram's Teen Accounts are designed to provide a safer and more private experience for younger users. 

Here's a breakdown of the default settings and additional features in place to safeguard your teen's online activity:

Default Privacy Settings

Private Accounts

All teen accounts under 18 are automatically set to private, ensuring only approved followers can see their content.

Audience Controls

Teens can restrict who can tag, mention, or use their content in Reels Remixes or Guides.

Direct Messaging

Adults over 18 are prevented from initiating private chats with teens they're not connected to.

Protections from Suspicious Adults

Instagram employs technology to identify adult accounts exhibiting potentially suspicious behavior. 

These accounts are restricted from interacting with teen accounts in various ways, including:

Limited visibility

Teen accounts are hidden from these adults in Explore, Reels, and suggested accounts.

Following restrictions

Suspicious adults cannot follow teen accounts directly.

Comment limitations

These adults cannot see or comment on teen posts.

Sensitive Content Control

Teens under 18 have a "Less" sensitive content setting enabled by default. This helps reduce exposure to potentially disturbing content in search results, Reels, and suggested accounts.

Content Restrictions

Instagram removes content that violates its community guidelines and restricts certain sensitive content for teens under 16. This includes content related to self-harm, eating disorders, and borderline adult nudity.

What Control Parents Have on Instagram?

Parental Supervision is a helpful feature that allows parents and guardians to keep an eye on their teens' Instagram activity. 

With Supervision, parents like you can:

• Limit the amount of time their teens spend on Instagram.
• Encourage teens to take breaks from the app.
• See when their teens are on Instagram and what they're doing.
• View who their teens follow and who follows them.
• Ensure their teens have appropriate safety settings enabled.

Alternate Topic Nudge is another feature designed to help teens explore new content. 

If a teen has been looking at the same type of content for too long, they'll receive a notification suggesting they try something different. 

This can help teens discover new interests and avoid getting stuck in a content bubble.

When will the Privacy Check Begin?

Starting this week, all teen accounts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia will be notified of these changes, which will take effect within the next 60 days.

The new settings will apply to all teen accounts 18 and under. However, teens 16 and under will need parental permission to move to less restrictive settings. 

This distinction between older and younger teens is based on extensive research conducted by Instagram.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri for rolling out "Teen Accounts"! These new accounts aim to keep privacy and safety top of mind for users under 18.

Teens under 16 need parental approval for changes, while 16-17-year-olds can manage things on their own. pic.twitter.com/PVBSRS9qsj

— Winning Clips (@WinningClipsX) September 17, 2024

To prevent teens from lying about their age, Instagram will now require users to verify their age using methods like government-issued IDs or facial scans.

Parental supervision is also a key component of these new measures. 

Teens and their parents or guardians must mutually agree to a supervisory relationship for parents to have access to controls over a teen's account.

Why Do Teen Need More Privacy and Security?

KOSA, the most comprehensive child protection legislation currently under consideration by Congress, aims to require all online platforms used by children to be designed with safety in mind. 

If passed, KOSA could set a new standard for the entire tech industry, similar to the changes Instagram has implemented.

Instagram's decision to strengthen its teen safety measures demonstrates a commitment to protecting young users and aligns with the broader goals of KOSA.

Social platforms including Instagram influence young minds. Many youngsters have faced life issues with the content they are exposed to. There have been several lawsuits regarding the privacy of young users.

Instagram Helps Pedophiles Find Child Pornography and Arrange Meetups with Children (MUST READ)

Researchers discovered that Instagram has become a breeding ground for child pornography.

The Wall Street Journal study found that Instagram enabled people to search hashtags such as… pic.twitter.com/060k59yFKd

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 7, 2023

In a legal case, a British authority found Instagram, owned by Meta, responsible for the suicide of a 14-year-old girl. Molly Russell tragically took her own life after being exposed to self-harm content on the platform.

During the inquest, executives from Meta and Pinterest expressed regret for the harmful content Molly encountered.

Elizabeth Lagone, head of health and wellbeing policy at Meta, admitted that some of the content viewed by Molly Russell violated Instagram's guidelines. These guidelines prohibit the glorification, encouragement, and promotion of suicide and self-harm.

"We regret that Molly was exposed to content that violated our policies," Lagone said.

Studies have linked excessive social media use to anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and even suicidal behavior. 

Social media can contribute to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, sleep disruptions, and exposure to harmful content like cyberbullying and misinformation.

Stay Secure on Social Media with PurePrivacy

Your privacy is important! We do not realize that social media can be the biggest threat to our personal information. 

Advertisers, data brokers and hackers are in search of our authentic personal information, which can be gathered through our social media accounts.

PurePrivacy can be a smart solution with its privacy focused features:

1. Link your social accounts (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to the app for easy management and privacy recommendations.
2. Get a score that measures your social media security.
3. Get tailored tips to improve your privacy based on your settings.
4. Wipe your search history across multiple platforms.
5. Hide, limit, or delete your posts for better privacy.
6. Scan your social media settings for personalized privacy recommendations.

Upgrade your online privacy!

What’s Your Take On Teen Privacy?

This is a HUGE win for teens and parents alike! 

Instagram is finally taking a stand for user safety, especially for younger people.

It's about time social media platforms stopped putting profits before people's well-being. 

Sure, these changes might take some getting used to, but it's a small price to pay for protecting teens from the dark corners of the internet.

What do you think? Let's keep the conversation going!