Instagram tightens rules for teens under 16: Livestreaming now restricted
Instagram limits teen livestreaming (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Instagram will restrict users under 16 from livestreaming or unblurring images with nudity in direct messages without parental consent. Meta announced the changes in a blog post, as reported by AP News.
Meta announced new safety measures for teens on Instagram, prohibiting users under 16 from using the livestream feature without parental permission.
These users will also no longer be able to disable the blur feature on images containing nudity in direct messages.
The changes will initially roll out in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia before expanding to other countries in the coming months.
"We want to give parents the tools to better control their children's online interactions and make them safer," Meta said in the post.
These safety measures are part of the teen account program launched in September to offer parents more options to supervise their children's online activities.
Expanding safety measures to Facebook and Messenger
Additionally, Meta is extending these measures to Facebook and Messenger.
Teen accounts on these platforms will also be protected by strict limits on unwanted interactions and sensitive content.
All teen accounts will be set to private by default, messages from strangers will be blocked, and screen time will be limited.
"We will provide similar automatic protections on Facebook and Messenger as we do on Instagram to ensure teens are safe and spend their time online more responsibly," the company stated. Since the program's launch, more than 54 million teen accounts have been created.
These changes highlight Meta's ongoing efforts to enhance online safety and support parents in monitoring their children's digital activities.
At the same time, the company continues to update Instagram, recently adding new features to Direct messages, such as music sharing and message translation, making communication more convenient and safer for users.
