Instagram expands Teen Accounts safety features to India

Instagram has announced the expansion of Teen Accounts to India months after launching them in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. The social media platform is rolling out the feature to mark the occasion of Safer Internet Day. Teen Accounts aim to safeguard teenagers from harmful content, limit interactions with strangers, and set a ceiling on the amount of time spent on the app.

For people on Instagram under the age of 16, changes to settings would require parental approval. Teen accounts are on a private setting by default so new followers have to be approved. Teen Accounts are barred from being viewed by non-followers. Users under 16 will also have restrictions on messaging so only people they are connected with can message them privately. 

Minors with Teen Accounts are also shielded from sensitive content like violence or promotion of cosmetic procedures. These teenagers can only be tagged by people they follow. 

There is also an anti-bullying feature called Hidden Words that filters out offensive language in comments and DM requests. Additionally, Teen Account users will receive notifications prompting them to exit the platform after an hour of usage. Then, sleep mode is turned on from 10 pm to 7 am muting notifications and automatically replying to DMs overnight. 

Instagram also allows parents to supervise the safety settings and monitor recent conversations, set daily time limits, and block access for designated periods of time.

Instagram further promises to strengthen its age verification process when users are signing up.

“At Meta, creating a safer and more responsible digital environment is a top priority. With the expansion of Instagram Teen Accounts to India, we are strengthening protections, enhancing content controls, and empowering parents, while ensuring a safer experience for teens,” said Natasha Jog, Meta Director, Public Policy, India.