Instagram Adds New Protections For Apps Featuring Kids

Meta is rolling out new protections for Instagram accounts run by adults that feature children.  These include accounts of adults who regularly share photos and videos of their children, along with accounts run by parents or talent managers that represent children.  The new protections include strict message settings to prevent unwanted messages, and the filtering-out of offensive comments.

Bringing Some Teen Account Protections to Adult-Managed Accounts Primarily Featuring Children

We’re also strengthening our protections for accounts run by adults that primarily feature children. These include adults who regularly share photos and videos of their children, and adults – such as parents or talent managers – who run accounts that represent teens or children under 13. While you have to be at least 13 to use Instagram, we allow adults to run accounts representing children under 13 if it’s clear in the account bio that they manage the account. If we become aware that the account is being run by the child themselves, we’ll remove it. 

While these accounts are overwhelmingly used in benign ways, unfortunately there are people who may try to abuse them, leaving sexualized comments under their posts or asking for sexual images in DMs, in clear violation of our rules. Today we’re announcing steps to help prevent this abuse.

We’re extending some Teen Account protections to adult-managed accounts that primarily feature children. These include automatically placing these accounts into our strictest message settings to prevent unwanted messages, and turning on Hidden Words, which filters offensive comments. We’ll show these accounts a notification at the top of their Instagram Feed, letting them know we’ve updated their safety settings, and prompting them to review their account privacy settings too. These changes will roll out in the coming months.