SINGAPORE: Instagram has started rolling out Teen Accounts in Singapore, its parent company Meta said on Tuesday ( Jan 21 ).
The element comes with built-in safeguards that may restrict who can call the teens and the articles they see on the application.
These transactions on the meta-owned software will also be personal by default and youth can only be tagged by individuals they follow. Rude words and phrases may be filtered out, said Meta.
Teens will also get messages telling them to keep the game after 60 hours each day.
There are also more parental control tools that allow parents to see who their young is messaging, said Meta in a media release.
” With parental guidance on, parents may also consider when and for how much their youth can use Instagram,” it added.
In contrast, there is also a fresh Sleep Mode element which mutes messages at night. This will be turned on between 10pm and 7am each time.
Youth in Singapore over 13 and under 18 years old will become immediately placed into the Teen Accounts over the next few weeks, said Meta, adding that those under 16 can simply transform these options with a parent’s agreement.
“We know parents want to feel confident that their teens can use social media to connect with their friends and explore their interests, without having to worry about unsafe or inappropriate experiences,” said Tara Hopkins, global director of public policy for Instagram and Threads.
” Teen Accounts have been designed to better support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place. “
Meta first announced Instagram Teen Accounts in September 2024.