Instagram accounts for under 16 years of age are private by default.

Instagram announced on July 27 (local time) that new accounts created on Instagram will be set to private by default for those under the age of 16 and in some countries under the age of 18.

Instagram sees users making new friends or connecting with family, but they don’t need to respond to unnecessary DMs or comments from strangers. Therefore, it is said that the accounts of young people under the age of 16 are set to be private by default. In addition, a notice explaining the reason for making the account information under the age of 16 private and how to change the setting is made public. Of course, you can switch to the privacy setting or continue to use the privacy setting at your own discretion.

To help protect younger users on Instagram, it also introduces a technology that makes it harder for some adults to find younger accounts. Accounts that have recently been blocked or reported as a violation of a youth account will not see the youth account in the Discover tab or in Featured Accounts. In addition, even if you find a younger account, such as a username search, you cannot follow or comment on a post. It also says that younger users can’t even see comments on other users’ posts.

In addition, restrictions are imposed on the data advertisers can use to display advertisements to young people on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. For users under the age of 18, the only data available in targeted advertising is age, gender and location, and cannot be targeted to their interests, interests and the websites they visit.

There is also talk that Instagram is currently reviewing Instagram for children, which can be used by children under the age of 13, although it is not currently possible to create an account under the age of 13. The idea, still in its infancy, has already been criticized by some members of the US Congress. Of course, this strengthening of the protection of young people is purely to protect and use the personal information of young people safely, but it is analyzed that it may also serve to defend against criticism of children’s Instagram. Related information can be found here.