Mid-Month Launch of 'Teen Accounts'
Usage Time Control and DM Sender Verification
Parental Consent Required to Disable Features
As Instagram introduces new policies to protect teenage accounts, parents will be able to monitor their children's accounts more closely.
According to Meta Korea on the 1st, teenagers aged 14 to 18 in South Korea will face some restrictions on Instagram usage starting mid-month. Last year, the company announced plans to expand the 'Teen Accounts' feature, which is currently available to teenagers using Instagram in four countries? the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom? to South Korea and other countries worldwide.
When set as a 'Teen Account,' exposure to sensitive content can be blocked, and through the 'Parent Supervision Tool,' smartphone usage can be restricted between 10 PM and 7 AM. Additionally, parents or guardians can control Instagram usage time and check the recipients of messages sent in the past seven days. To disable these features, parental consent is required.
Instagram’s implementation of these stringent protective measures is interpreted as an effort to prevent excessive use of social networking services (SNS) among teenagers. In September last year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his desire to see children away from devices and playing in places like soccer fields, swimming pools, and tennis courts, showing his commitment to SNS age restrictions. Not only Australia but also countries like Norway and France have been pushing legislation to limit teenagers’ use of SNS.
Meanwhile, in November last year, some parents managing their children's accounts on Instagram experienced unexpected account deactivations. Soyul, a former member of the group Crayon Pop, lamented, "My daughter's account was suddenly deactivated last night," adding, "All the drawings, videos, and photos beautifully created by fans disappeared. It’s really upsetting." This incident occurred due to changes in Instagram’s internal policies, which strengthened protections for minors, resulting in the sudden suspension of many accounts featuring children’s photos.
Instagram fundamentally allows only users aged 14 and above to sign up. For accounts representing children under 14, official guidelines introduced by Instagram require that the account description clearly state that the account is managed by a parent or guardian. Meta explained that if an account is deactivated, users can request a review within 180 days to determine whether the account can be reactivated.
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