Instagram introduces new safety features for teenagers in India

TOI Tech Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 11, 2025, 18:04 IST

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Meta is enhancing safety for Indian teen Instagram users, requiring parental approval for live streams and disabling unwanted DM filters. Building on the Teen Accounts initiative, launched in September 2024 and reaching 54 million users, these specialized accounts are rolling out in India.

Instagram introduces new safety features for teenagers in India

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, Oct. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Meta has announced enhanced safety protections for teen users on Instagram across India. The social media company will now require parental approval for users under 16 to go live or disable filters that block unwanted images in direct messages.
The announcement builds on Instagram's Teen Accounts initiative, which the company says has reached over 54 million young users worldwide since its September 2024 launch. Meta is currently rolling out these specialized accounts in India and plans to extend similar safeguards to Facebook and Messenger later this year.
"Young people deserve safe, age-appropriate online experiences," said Tara Hopkins, Global Director of Public Policy at Instagram, who noted that 97% of teens aged 13-15 globally have maintained the protective settings on their accounts.
The Teen Safety Forum featured a panel with author and Tweak India founder Twinkle Khanna, who emphasized the challenge parents face in balancing teen independence with online safety concerns.

Instagram Teen Accounts in India now include several default safety features: private account settings, restrictions on who can interact with teens, and content filters to reduce exposure to potentially harmful material. The platform also provides real-time notifications when suspicious contact attempts occur.
Additional protections include enhanced message controls preventing strangers from contacting teens unless specifically permitted, and expanded parental supervision tools that provide guardians with greater insight into their teen's platform usage.
These efforts follow Meta's "Talking Digital Suraksha for Teens" initiative conducted across six Indian cities in 2024, which educated parents about the 50+ safety tools available across Meta's platforms.

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