Meta rolls out new parental controls for under-16 Instagram users in India | Technology News

Meta’s under-16 users in India will no longer be able to go live on Instagram without the approval of their parent or guardian.
The social media giant has also announced that underage users will not be able to disable filters that block unwanted images in their direct messages without parental approval.
These measures are part of Meta’s rollout of teen safety initiatives in India, which are applicable to all its platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. The announcement was made at the big tech company’s Teen Safety Forum organised on Friday, April 11.
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The event saw a panel discussion comprising Tara Hopkins, Global Director of Public Policy, Instagram, and Twinkle Khanna, author, column, and founder of Tweak India. It was held amid Meta’s ongoing rollout of Teen Accounts on Instagram in India
“In India — home to one of the world’s largest youth populations and a diverse creator community, we will continue to len to the needs of both teens and parents. We are very encouraged that 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 have stayed within these protective settings globally,” Instagram’s Tara Hopkins said in a statement.
“The new Instagram Teen Accounts features will give teens the tools to steer their own ship while parents can keep an eye out to make sure they don’t crash into icebergs,” Twinkle Khanna added.
The company said it is preparing to extend Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger later this year.Story continues below this ad
What are Teen Accounts?
Teen Accounts are a separate feature offered to young users that give parents and guardians more oversight of their children’s accounts on Meta-owned platforms.
“These accounts will feature similar safeguards, including protection from unwanted contact, reduced exposure to sensitive content and tools for managing time spent in-app. Further, parents will be able to supervise how their teens interact across Meta apps,” Meta said.
It further revealed that over 54 million teens use Instagram Teen Accounts worldwide since the initial rollout in September last year. Other features that are now live within Instagram Teen Accounts in India are enhanced message controls, real-time notifications, and parental supervision tools.