Instagram rolls out new restrictions to protect teen users from harmful content

New Delhi:

Instagram is rolling out new restrictions designed to protect underage users from harmful content. In a recent blog post, the social media platform announced that accounts belonging to users under 18 years of age will now default to seeing content that adheres to PG-13 movie ratings.

For those unfamiliar, a PG-13 rating means the content is generally considered safe for children over 13. This restricted content will actively avoid themes like extreme violence, sexual nudity, and graphic drug use.

Furthermore, Instagram will not allow teen users to change this default setting without explicit approval from their parents or guardians. This move comes at a time when social media platforms are under increased scrutiny regarding the potential harm they cause to teenage users.

Stricter filtering and interaction limits

In addition to the content rating change, Instagram has also rolled out a stricter content filter called Limited Content. This filter will prevent teens from viewing and posting comments on posts where the setting is active.

The service is also taking steps to limit interactions with inappropriate accounts. Teenagers will not be allowed to follow accounts that share age-inappropriate content. If they are already following such accounts, they will be unable to see content from or interact with them, and vice versa. The company is also removing these accounts from recommendations, making them much harder to find. Instagram is also blocking teenagers from viewing inappropriate content linked to them in Direct Messages (DMs).

Instagram's parent company, Meta, already restricts teen accounts from discovering content related to eating disorders and self-harm. The company is now adding filters to block words like "alcohol" or "gore," and is also making sure that teens don't bypass these categories by misspelling the terms.

Instagram is rolling out these changes in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada starting today, with a global rollout planned for next year.

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