Instagram: Under 16s now have a private account by default

if community instagram Since it consists mostly of teenagers, the social network needs to redouble its efforts to improve their protection. For example, for several months Facebook and Instagram have made it possible to hide the like counter; This is a fundamental change aimed at reducing the negative impact of platforms on the mental health of their members, especially the youngest. Other measures taken by Instagram to protect teens: The network now bans adults from sending messages to minors who don’t follow them.

Instagram announced new rules for users under the age of 16 in a press release. The strongest measure to emerge Automatically make user accounts of people under 16 private During registration to offer young people the best privacy.

Instagram wants to “give young people a safer and more private experience”

“Wherever possible we want to prevent young people from contacting adults they do not know or do not want to hear from. We think private accounts are the best way to counter this. So starting this week, everyone under the age of 16 (or under the age of 18 in certain countries) will be assigned a private account by default when they log in to Instagram,” we read in the press release.

Instagram thinks private accounts are a good solution for those under 16, but the company also takes into account that some younger creators may prefer to have a public account to build an audience. Instagram wants to “give teens a fair deal to keep them safe while giving them everything they love on Instagram”

For underage users whose account has already been created,A notification will soon encourage them to switch their Instagram accounts to private, while giving them the right to choose. We state that, among other measures taken, Instagram will “change the way advertisers reach young people with ads.” “We want young people to enjoy using Instagram while ensuring their privacy and security are never compromised. “We’ll continue to listen to them, their parents, lawmakers, and experts to build an Instagram that’s geared toward teens and trusted by parents.”

These changes will launch in France this week, will launch in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan. The company states that it wants to expand these applications to other countries in the near future.