While Instagram wants users to make new friends and connect with their families, it doesn’t think it’s necessary to respond to unwanted DMs and comments from strangers.
For this reason, it is said that younger accounts under the age of 16 are set to private by default. For accounts under the age of 16 that have already been set to be public, we will notify you to explain the benefits of keeping them private and how to change the settings.
Of course, you can create a new one with the public settings at your own discretion, or continue to use it with the public settings.
Instagram will also introduce technology that makes it even harder for some adults to find younger accounts to protect younger users. Specifically, for accounts that have been recently blocked or reported violations from younger accounts, the younger accounts will be hidden on the Discover tab, reels, and recommended accounts.
Also, even if you find a young account by searching by user name, you cannot follow it or comment on the post. Even if young users comment on other users’ posts, they cannot see them.
In addition, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger will also impose restrictions on the data that advertisers can use to display ads to young people. For users under the age of 18, the only data available for targeted advertising is age, gender, and location, and you will not be able to target your interests or the websites you visit.
At present, Instagram cannot create an account under the age of 13, but it is said that we are considering Instagram for children that can be used even under the age of 13. The idea, which is still in its infancy, has already been criticized by US lawmakers.
Of course, there may be a desire to protect the privacy of young people and use them safely, but it seems that there is also an aim to avoid criticism of Instagram for children.