Meta launches Instagram teen accounts in India with enhanced safety features and parental controls

Meta has expanded its Instagram Teen Accounts to India with a range of safety features designed to create a secure environment for younger users. The app now provides additional tools for parents to monitor their teens' activity and manage their screen time.

Under the new initiative, parents can monitor their children's recent contacts, set daily screen time limits, and restrict app usage during designated hours. These measures aim to keep teenagers safe while they use the platform.

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Meta ensures that children are automatically placed in the most secure settings, which include an age-appropriate experience on Instagram.

“Ensuring a safer digital environment is our priority. The launch of Instagram Teen Accounts in India strengthens protections, enhances content controls, and supports parents in managing their children’s online presence,” said Natasha Jog, Director of Public Policy India, Instagram.

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Key features of the new setup include:

• Private Accounts: Teen accounts are automatically set to private, ensuring that new followers need approval. Non-followers cannot interact with or view their content, a setting that applies to users under 16 and anyone under 18 when they first sign up.
• Messaging Controls: Teens will only receive messages from users they follow or those they are already connected with, limiting interactions with strangers.
• Sensitive Content Limits: Teens will have restricted access to sensitive content like violent posts or promotions of cosmetic procedures, particularly in the Explore and Reels sections.
• Tagging Restrictions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by accounts they follow, with the "Hidden Words" feature activated by default to filter offensive language from comments and messages.
• Usage Time Management: The app will remind teens to take a break after an hour of screen time, encouraging them to log off.
• Sleep Mode: Instagram will automatically enable sleep mode from 10 PM to 7 AM, blocking notifications and sending automatic replies to messages during those hours.

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Parents also have several supervision tools, including:

1. Monitoring Conversations: Parents can view a list of recent contacts without accessing message content.
2. Daily Time Limits: Parents can set daily usage limits, locking the app once the allotted time is reached.
3. Scheduled Restrictions: Parents can block Instagram usage during specific hours, like nighttime, with a simple toggle switch.

These measures aim to help parents maintain control over their children's online interactions while promoting a safer experience for teens on Instagram.