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Privacy

Instagram Unveils Major Privacy Upgrades for Teens

Why these Changes at Instagram Are Important 

Instagram has introduced significant privacy improvements to better protect users under 18. Privacy professionals and legal teams should be aware of these changes to understand their implications on child safety and online privacy regulations.

Overview of Instagram Privacy Policy Changes

Historically, social media platforms, including Instagram, have faced intense scrutiny for their impact on teenagers' mental health and wellbeing. Concerns have centered around issues such as cyberbullying, the pressure to meet unrealistic beauty standards, and addictive scrolling habits that interfere with sleep and daily responsibilities. Studies have linked prolonged social media use among teens to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

Moreover, there has been significant unease about the potential for privacy violations and the exposure of minors to inappropriate content and interactions. These longstanding concerns have prompted regulators and parents to demand more stringent protective measures, leading platforms like Instagram to reconsider and enhance their privacy policies for younger users.

This past summer alone, the  U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy advocated for implementing warning labels on social media platforms, akin to those on cigarette packs, to alert users about potential mental health hazards, and bipartisan legislation known as the Kids Online Safety Act was approved by the Senate, aiming to establish safety and privacy standards for children and adolescents using social media.

What Instagram's Policy Changes Contain 

In response to these concerns over children’s online safety, Instagram has rolled out a comprehensive suite of privacy measures aimed at teens. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, highlighted that these changes were designed to address top parental concerns about inappropriate contact, harmful content, and excessive screen time. The initiative, named “Teen Accounts,” aims to create a safer, more age-appropriate social media environment for minors. 

The new settings are among the most extensive measures taken by a social media platform to safeguard teenagers. Key features include:

  • Default Private Accounts: All new accounts for users under 18 will be private by default.
  • Restricted Notifications: Notifications will be paused from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to promote healthier sleep patterns.
  • Parental Supervision Tools: Enhanced tools to allow parents to monitor their children's interactions on the platform.

These changes are designed to mitigate risks such as bullying, inappropriate contact, and exposure to harmful content, making them highly relevant for organizations focused on child safety and digital well-being.

Instagram's privacy upgrades aimed at protecting teen users are timely, given increased scrutiny on social media platforms for the risks they pose to minors. Instagram's new features, such as default private accounts for users under 18, restricted notifications to encourage healthy screen habits, and enhanced parental controls, directly address concerns over cyberbullying, privacy violations, and exposure to harmful content. Organizations should view these changes as part of a broader trend toward stricter child protection measures, in line with regulations like the Kids Online Safety Act. Businesses should ensure their platforms meet similar standards for child safety and privacy compliance, as regulatory actions in this area are only expected to intensify.

Exterro's Consent and Preference Management solution is an effective way of implementing age-appropriate privacy settings and policies that safeguard minors. It offers streamlined, compliant ways to manage user preferences and protect vulnerable users, including children, ensuring legal and ethical compliance across platforms.

Fahad Diwan, JD, FIP, CIPP/M, CIPP/C, Director of Product, Privacy, Exterro

Data Privacy Tip 

Ensure your platform's privacy settings are age-appropriate and easy for users to understand and control. Learn about the elements of an effective consent management policy in this new resource from Exterro.

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