New privacy settings on Instagram

Hi everyone! As many of you may have heard. Instagram will be rolling out ‘Teen accounts’ within the next 60 days.

So what does this mean?

Anyone under 18 years of age will have their account set to private. They will also only be able to receive messages from people they follow or are connected with. Content that teens can see will be limited.

Can I change these settings?

Parental permission will be needed to change these privacy settings for anyone under 16 years old.

What’s the reason behind this new feature?

This new feature allows parents and carers to have greater control on their young person’s account. On a larger scale, it follows the Australian Government’s announcement that it will legislate a minimum age for social media access and earlier pitches for a social media ban for Australians under 16 years old. Notably, the new privacy settings will not affect the government’s plan to introduce a social media ban.

Social media is an important way we stay socially connected, and this news can be distressing to hear. We want to make some space here for you to express your thoughts and feelings about this change. So what does everyone think of these changes?