Minors logging on to Instagram for the first time will now automatically default to a “private” account as the company aims to create a more “safe and private” platform.
“Wherever we can, we want to stop young people from hearing from adults they don’t know, or that they don’t want to hear from,” reps for Instagram announced in a blog post on Tuesday. “We believe private accounts are the best way to prevent this from happening.”
Perviously, new accounts would default to “public” settings, wherein anyone can search for and view a public profile. Now, the new rule will make it so anyone under the age of 16 (or 18, in some countries) who creates an account on Instagram will be defaulted to a “private” account — until they make the changes themselves in the settings.
The platform’s own testing revealed that eight out of 10 young people accepted the default private settings without question.
Facebook has assured federal officials that the company is undertaking the new venture “in consultation with experts in child development, child safety and mental health, and privacy advocates,” and that they “look forward to working with” lawmakers on the app.