Published on February 12th, 2025
Instagram, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, is rolling out its Teen Accounts feature in India.
This move comes as part of Meta’s commitment to ensuring a safer online experience for younger users.
With over 350 million users in India, Instagram’s new safety-focused update aims to enhance privacy controls, parental supervision, and content moderation for teenagers under 16.
What Are Instagram Teen Accounts?
First introduced in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, Instagram Teen Accounts are specially designed profiles with default restrictions and protective measures to safeguard young users.
These accounts are now being extended to India, ensuring teenagers can navigate the platform securely.
Key Features of Teen Accounts
- Private by Default: All teen accounts will be set to private mode by default, limiting visibility to only approved followers.
- Messaging Restrictions: Teens can only receive messages from people they are already connected with, ensuring fewer unsolicited interactions.
- Content Controls: Offensive words and phrases are automatically filtered out, and content related to fighting or cosmetic product promotions is removed from Explore and Reels.
- Interaction Limits: Stricter tagging and mention controls prevent unknown users from engaging with teen accounts.
- Time Limit Reminders & Sleep Mode: Teens receive reminders about screen time limits, encouraging healthier usage habits.
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Strengthening Parental Supervision
Meta’s expansion of parental controls allows guardians to monitor their child’s online activity while respecting privacy. The supervision features include:
- Approval for Setting Changes: Parents must approve certain modifications to account settings for users under 16.
- Monitoring Interactions: Parents can view their teen’s follower list and message interactions (without seeing the actual messages).
- Screen Time Management: Parents can set daily usage limits and restrict access to Instagram during specific hours.
Enhanced Age Verification Measures
To prevent users from falsifying their age, Instagram has introduced ID verification and video selfies for age confirmation. This step aligns with growing concerns about underage users accessing adult content.
Compliance with India’s Data Protection Regulations
India recently released draft rules under its data protection law, restricting the processing of data from users under 18 without verifiable parental consent.
Instagram’s move to implement teen-focused safety measures aligns with these potential regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance while prioritizing user protection.
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Customizable Explore Feed for Teens
To encourage age-appropriate content consumption, teens can now personalize their Explore feed by selecting categories such as:
- Soccer
- Crafts
- Dance
- Music & Audio
- Cats
- Food & Drink
- Computer Science
By enabling these preferences, Instagram ensures that teens see engaging yet safe content tailored to their interests.
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Conclusion
Meta’s introduction of Teen Accounts in India marks a significant step toward responsible social media usage.
With growing concerns over online safety, these measures provide an added layer of protection, supervision, and content moderation for young users.
As the Indian government tightens data protection regulations, Instagram’s proactive approach aligns with evolving legal requirements, reinforcing its commitment to a safer digital environment.
By implementing stronger parental controls, content restrictions, and interaction limits, Instagram is shaping a more secure and age-appropriate platform for teenagers in India.
