Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Instagram launches Teen accounts with Privacy and Parental settings
In response to increasing concerns about the possibility of social media's harmful impacts, Meta Platforms is implementing stronger privacy settings and parental controls for Instagram accounts belonging to users younger than 18. Follow Saudi Expatriates on Instagram
On Tuesday, Meta announced that it will automatically transfer all specified Instagram accounts to "Teen Accounts," which are private profiles by default. Meta claims Instagram Teen accounts are with built-in protections for teens and peace of mind for parents.
Such accounts will have their sensitive content settings turned all the way up to maximum, and users will only receive messages and tags from accounts they follow or are already connected to.
Only with parental consent can users under the age of 16 change the system's default settings. A set of controls will also be available to parents so they can keep eyes on their children's app use and the people they interact with.
Studies have shown that social media use is associated with an increased risk of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties, especially among younger users.
The addictive nature of social media has already been the subject of hundreds of lawsuits filed against Meta, ByteDance's TikTok, and Google's GOOGL.O YouTube by school districts and individuals representing minors. Recommend : Like and Follow Saudi Expatriates on Facebook
In a lawsuit filed last year, 33 US states, including California and New York, accused the corporation of deceiving the public over the risks posed by its platforms.
Popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok only accept members who are at least 13 years old.
Meta made this decision three years after it halted work on an Instagram app tailored to teens in response to pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups who voiced worries about the platform's safety.
Forcing social media corporations to answer for the ways in which their platforms influence children and teenagers was the goal of two internet safety measures introduced by the United States Senate in July, the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act. Join Saudi Expatriates WhatsApp channel
Time Limit and Sleep mode : The update includes a feature that notifies Instagram users under the age of 18 to close the app after 60 minutes daily. Each account will also have an automatic sleep mode from 10 PM to 7 AM that turns off all alerts while you're asleep and send auto replies to DMs.
According to Meta, the discovered people will be added to teen accounts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia within 60 days. The EU will be included later this year. In January, teen accounts will be made available to teenagers all across the globe. Saudi Expatriates on Telegram
Instagram launches Teen accounts with Privacy and Parental settings - Saudi-Expatriates.com
