Instagram sets limits on teens' accounts in bid to boost safety

Amid mounting accusations that kids aren't being kept safe on social media, Instagram says it will automatically give teens private accounts with limited capabilities as their default.

- TARA DESCHAMPS

The accounts launched for new underage users in Canada on Tuesday and will be handed to teens already on the platform over the next 60 days.

The account's default settings include blocking teens from being messaged by people they aren't connected with and minimizing their exposure to sensitive content such as posts that depict violence or encourage cosmetic procedures.

Parental supervision tools baked into the accounts will allow parents to see who their teen is messaging, when and how long they're on Instagram, and set screen time limits. Those under the age of 16 will only be able to change the settings with parental approval.

The settings are Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc.'s answer to a barrage of concerns parents, politicians and educators have raised about how much time teens are spending on social media platforms and what harms they're encountering online.

The dangers prompted several provinces to ban phone use in class this school year and a handful of Ontario boards to sue Meta, Tik Tok and Snap for billions over accusations that the companies negligently design their products for compulsive use and rewire the way children think, behave and learn.