Meta to introduce new Instagram ‘Teen Accounts’ to boost parental controls

Meta is introducing new “teen accounts” for Instagram users under 18, allowing parents more control over their children’s activity on the platform, including the option to restrict access during nighttime hours, The Guardian reported.

This change will initially apply to new teen users and will gradually extend to existing teenage accounts in the coming months.

The teen account settings will enable parents to set daily usage limits, prevent app usage during specific times, monitor accounts their child is messaging, and view the types of content their child is engaging with.

According to the report, these new settings will be available in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, stated that the goal of this change is to “shift the balance in favor of parents.”

This update follows the Australian government’s recent announcement of plans to introduce legislation aimed at raising the minimum age for accessing social media to an age between 14 and 16.