[00:00.00]Meta's Instagram service recently introduced some built-in tools designed to protect young users.
[00:10.15]The changes also give parents more control over their children's accounts to improve safety and limit the amount of time spent on the social networking app.
[00:25.00]Instagram says the new tools aim to "reassure parents that teens are having safe experiences."
[00:35.10]The main change was the establishment of Teen Accounts, which Meta says was developed "with parents and teens in mind."
[00:46.98]The Associated Press offers the following tips as a guide for parents to get the most out of the new tools.
[00:56.97]Instagram already restricts anyone under 13 from signing up for the service.
[01:05.78]Now, teen accounts will automatically be set to private.
[01:11.13]That means they will have to accept or reject requests from new followers.
[01:18.76]Other users will not be able to see a teen user's posts and videos or communicate with the account.
[01:28.72]Teens will also face messaging restrictions.
[01:33.14]They can only receive direct messages from people they are following or who follow them.
[01:40.61]But they can still send messages to other accounts.
[01:45.94]Teen Accounts will also restrict certain kinds of material, or content.
[01:53.06]This will include sensitive subjects such as videos of people fighting or content that pushes methods to improve appearance.
[02:04.76]In addition, Instagram's anti-bullying tools will be set to the highest level to prevent offensive words and phrases in comments and direct message requests.
[02:20.60]To restrict usage time, teens will get a message to stop using the app after it has been open for more than an hour.
[02:31.51]This message can be ignored, however.
[02:35.75]The new limits will be turned on automatically for all teens.
[02:41.29]But 16 and 17-year-olds will have the ability to turn them off.
[02:48.10]Children under 16 will need parental permission to do so.
[02:53.52]Teens might also seek to lie about their age to get around the restrictions.
[03:01.14]But Meta has made it more difficult for them to do so.
[03:05.63]Young users are required to confirm their ages by uploading an identification card or by sending a short video of themselves.
[03:19.01]Instagram says it will also begin testing artificial intelligence (AI) software early next year that will aim to prevent false birth dates from being accepted.
[03:34.50]If a parent does not think the limits for their child are strong enough, they can add more protective controls.
[03:43.50]For example, a parent has the ability to see who their teen has traded messages with within the past seven days.
[03:54.60]The new tools also provide controls for parents to set daily limits for Instagram use.
[04:03.48]A parent can also block a teen from using Instagram during specific times of the day and follow subjects they are seeing.
[04:15.27]To set up additional controls, a parent first needs to set up family supervision on his or her account.
[04:24.89]On the mobile app, this can be done by going into settings and scrolling to find the family center to activate the tools.
[04:35.74]Next, the Teen Account will have to invite a parent.
[04:40.10]This will be in the form of a link the teen can send by text message to the parent.
[04:48.02]After accepting the invite, the teen user has 48 hours to confirm the parent's response.
[04:56.70]The restrictive tools will be automatically activated for anyone under 18 who now signs up for Instagram in the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia.
[05:11.92]For existing accounts, the restrictions will be put in place by mid-November.
[05:18.17]The protections will be available for teens in the European Union's 27 countries beginning later this year.
[05:28.68]And the rest of the world will get Teen Accounts for Instagram in January.
[05:35.14]Meta says it will also bring the changes to other services like Facebook next year.
[05:43.24]I'm Bryan Lynn.
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Words in This Story
app - n. a small computer program that can be put onto a mobile phone or other electronic device
reassure - v. to say something to stop someone from worrying
automatic - adj. working by itself with little human control
supervise - v. to watch a person or activity to make sure things are being done correctly, safely, etc.
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