The Meta group announced on Tuesday the creation of “Teenage Accounts”, intended to better protect underage users from the dangers linked to Instagram, an application accused by many associations and authorities of harming the mental health of young people.
In practice, users aged 13 to 15 will now have private accounts by default, with safeguards on who can contact them and what content they can see.
Teens who want a public profile and fewer restrictions—because they want to become influencers, for example—will need to get their parents’ permission, whether they’re already registered or new to the platform.
Adults will be able to supervise their children’s activities on the social network and take action accordingly, including blocking the app.
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger is also tightening its age rules.
“We know that teens can lie about their age, particularly to try to get around these protections,” said Antigone Davis, the California group’s vice president of safety issues. Now, if a teen tries to change his or her birthdate, “we’re going to ask them to prove their age.”
Pressure has been mounting for a year against the world’s number two in digital advertising and its competitors.
Last October, some forty American states filed a complaint against Meta’s platforms, accusing them of harming the “mental and physical health of young people” due to the risks of addiction, cyber-harassment and eating disorders.
From Washington to Canberra, elected officials are working on bills to better protect children online. Australia is expected to soon set the minimum age for using social media at between 14 and 16.
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