What's happened
Instagram has announced new 'Teen Accounts' with stricter privacy settings and parental controls, aimed at protecting users under 18. The changes come amid increasing regulatory pressure and concerns over online safety for children, particularly in light of the Kids Online Safety Act gaining traction in Congress.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the BBC, the NSPCC described the changes as a "step in the right direction" but emphasized that Meta must take more proactive measures to prevent harmful content. In contrast, Andrew Griffin from The Independent noted that these changes are Meta's most substantial adjustments to youth accounts ever, coinciding with the UK's Online Safety Act. Meanwhile, Business Insider highlighted that Meta's Nick Clegg acknowledged a behavioral issue with parents not using existing controls, suggesting that the new defaults aim to address this gap. Critics like Ian Russell, whose daughter died by suicide linked to social media, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of these measures, emphasizing the need for robust age verification to prevent 'age liars' from circumventing protections.
How we got here
The introduction of Teen Accounts follows growing scrutiny of social media platforms regarding their safety measures for young users. Legislative efforts like the Kids Online Safety Act and the UK's Online Safety Act are pushing companies to enhance protections against harmful content.
Common question
-
What Are the New Instagram Features for Teen Accounts?
Instagram has recently introduced significant changes to enhance the safety of teen users on its platform. With growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people, these new features aim to provide a safer online environment. But what exactly are these changes, and how do they affect teens and their parents? Here are some common questions and answers regarding Instagram's new teen account settings.
More on these topics
-
Facebook, Inc. is an American social media conglomerate corporation based in Menlo Park, California. It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, along with his fellow roommates and students at Harvard College, who were Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk
-
Instagram is an American photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and originally launched on iOS in October 2010.
-
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American media magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding Facebook, Inc. and serves as its chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder.