Meta has announced the launch of Instagram Teen Accounts in India, introducing a range of safety features designed to create a secure and age-appropriate experience for young users. These accounts come with built-in protections, including stricter privacy settings, restricted interactions, and enhanced parental controls. The company aims to ensure that teenagers have a safer space online while giving parents better oversight of their child’s digital activities.
In addition to these protections, Meta is also strengthening its age verification process to prevent users from misrepresenting their age. If someone attempts to sign up with an adult birthdate, additional verification steps will be required to confirm their actual age. This measure is meant to ensure that teenagers remain within the safety parameters of the teen account settings.
By default, all accounts for users under 16—or under 18 in some cases—will be private, meaning new followers must be approved before they can view posts or send messages. Messaging restrictions will prevent teenagers from receiving messages from strangers, allowing only interactions with people they already follow. Sensitive content will also be filtered out in areas like Explore and Reels, ensuring that young users are not exposed to potentially harmful material, such as violent content or cosmetic surgery promotions.
Meta has also introduced time management features to encourage healthier social media habits. A notification will remind teens to take a break after 60 minutes of daily use, and a sleep mode will automatically mute notifications between 10 PM and 7 AM. Additionally, parental supervision tools will allow guardians to monitor their teen’s recent conversations (without reading message content), set daily time limits, and restrict Instagram access during specific hours, such as at night or during school time.
Meta says these features reflect its ongoing commitment to balancing online engagement with safety, ensuring that teenagers in India can use Instagram within a protected digital environment.