Instagram has updated some safety controls for teenagers so they are less likely to encounter potentially sensitive content on the site. The Meta-owned platform said that when new users aged under 16 join the site, they will have more sensitive content hidden from them by default.
The change will also see existing users under 16 prompted to update their own account to bring it in line with this new setting, which is what Instagram calls its Sensitive Content Control. Instagram says the tool makes it more difficult for young people to come across sensitive content or accounts across all areas of the platform, including search results and suggested accounts.
“The Sensitive Content Control has only two options for teens: ‘Standard’ and ‘Less’. New teens on Instagram under 16 years old will be defaulted into the ‘Less’ state. For teens already on Instagram, we will send a prompt encouraging them to select the ‘Less’ experience,” the social media platform said in a blog post.
