Meta has launched new ‘teen accounts’ for Instagram, developed in partnership with the UAE Digital Wellbeing Council, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the region aimed at protecting teenagers online.
The new teen accounts, which will be automatically activated for teenagers under sixteen years of age, come with enhanced privacy settings and smart algorithms that detect and limit exposure to harmful content. The tools are also designed to support parents with greater oversight and control.
There are six key protection features offered with the teen accounts.
1. Teen accounts will be set to private mode by default and teenagers under sixteen can only change this with the help from a parent or guardian.
2. Teen accounts will be placed in the most restricted section, limiting exposure to sensitive content in the 'explore' and 'reels' sections on Instagram.
3. Teen account users cannot be messaged by anyone that they're not already connected to.
4. There will be time limit reminders that will prompt the users to exit the app after sixty minutes of daily usage.
5. Sleep mode will be enable from 10pm to 7am, muting notifications.
6. Teen account users can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow. Offensive language will also be filtered out in the comments and messages.
Announced during a youth circle event attended by senior leaders, the launch highlights the nation’s growing focus on youth wellbeing in digital spaces. It was stressed that safeguarding future generations is central to the nation’s digital transformation efforts.
A new user guide has been introduced to help families understand and use the features effectively. Workshops and a policy roundtable were also held to discuss future regulations and collaborations aimed at supporting youth online.
This move is part of a broader effort to make the digital world safer, more inclusive, and empowering for younger users in the UAE and beyond.