Meta platform on Tuesday said it is rolling out special accounts with new privacy settings for teen users of Instagram, in its latest effort to limit exposure to harmful content on its apps amid regulatory pressure, the company said.
The social media company said it will automatically convert all designated accounts to teen accounts, which will be private by default.
Users of these accounts will only be able to receive messages and be tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected with, while sensitive content settings will be set to the most restrictive available.
Users under the age of 16 will only be able to change the default setting with the permission of their parents, who will also have a number of settings to control who their children interact with and limit their use of the app.
Several studies have linked social media use to higher levels of depression, anxiety and learning problems, especially in younger users.
Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube are already facing hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts over social media addiction. Last year, 33 US states, including California and New York, sued the company for misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms.
Major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok allow users over the age of 13 to register.
Meta’s decision comes after it abandoned development of a version of its Instagram app aimed at teens three years ago after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to shut it down, citing security concerns.
In July, the US Senate passed two internet safety bills – the Children’s Internet Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act – that would hold social media companies accountable for how their platforms affect children and teens.
Meta said it would put identified users on teen accounts within 60 days in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and later this year in the European Union. Teens around the world will start having teen accounts in January.