Instagram will block some users from streaming

Meta has announced another tightening of restrictions for teenage accounts on Instagram and announced the introduction of similar settings on Facebook and Messenger. It is about enhanced protection of minors from unwanted content and contacts, as well as additional tools for parents.

It is stated on the official website of Meta.

What restrictions will be introduced for teenagers on Instagram?

According to the company, teenagers under the age of 16 will soon not be able to conduct live broadcasts on their own — they will need parental permission. In addition, they will not be able to disable the function of blurring potentially inappropriate images in private messages without adult approval. Meta notes that these changes are expected to be implemented in the coming months.

These new restrictions are in addition to the existing security settings that were introduced last year for teenage accounts. Previously, Instagram automatically transferred users aged 13-15 to the Teen Account Mode, which imposes strict restrictions on possible contacts and content viewing. According to the company, 97% of teenagers of this age left the standard "built-in" settings without making them softer.

To make it easier for parents to control the safety of teenagers on social media, Meta is starting to introduce teenage accounts on Facebook and Messenger. They include similar automatic restrictions that will protect young people from inappropriate posts and unwanted messages.

Currently, these settings will gradually become available to users in the United States, the UK, Australia, and Canada. The extension to other countries is planned for the near future.

According to the updated data, at least 54 million accounts worldwide have already been switched to teenage mode. They have various security measures in place, including limited usage time, nightly reminders to rest, blocking unwanted messages from strangers, and automatic switching of accounts to private mode.

As a reminder, the video game platform Roblox will introduce the new set of controls that will allow parents to manage who their children communicate with. They will also be able to track how much time and in which games they spend.

We also wrote that TikTok has introduced new features to protect teenagers. Parents are now able to block their children from using the platform during certain hours, as well as view the list of their subscribers.