The internet is barely a safe place for anyone, regardless of age, as predators and scammers are all over, harassing anyone they can get access to. To minimize the situation, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is keeping an eagle eye on the teens who use the platform, making their safety a priority.
In a blog post, Meta announced a range of updates and shared new data on the impact of the latest safety tools.
New safety features have been added to DMs in Teen Accounts, providing teens with more context about the accounts they are messaging and helping them spot potential scammers. These features include viewing safety tips, blocking an account, and displaying the month and year the account joined Instagram. Additionally, a new block and report option has been launched, making the process easier and ensuring that potentially violating accounts are reported to Instagram for review and action.
Meta reported that one million accounts were blocked and another one million reported after the launch of the Safety Notice in June. The Location Notice on Instagram also saw one million views, with one in 10 users tapping on it to learn steps. Since rolling out the nudity protection feature globally, 99% of people, including teens, have kept it on, reducing exposure to unwanted nudity. The company is also strengthening protections for accounts run by adults primarily featuring children.
Instagram is extending Teen Account protections to adult-managed accounts primarily featuring children, including strict message settings and Hidden Words. Meta is also implementing new measures to prevent suspicious adults from finding their accounts, such as those blocked by teens. The company will avoid recommending accounts to such adults, make it harder for them to find each other in Search, and hide comments from such adults.
Earlier this year, Meta said it removed nearly 135,000 Instagram accounts for leaving sexualized comments or requesting sexual images from adult-managed accounts featuring children under 13. An additional 500,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts that were linked to those original accounts were also removed.
This move addresses the concerns over how social platforms affect the safety and mental well-being of younger users.
