How Instagram Is Working To Protect Younger Users

According to Instagram executives, a new, kid-friendly social platform is set to be created for children under the age of 13. 

Instagram’s vice president of product, Vishal Shah, noted the following on a message forum:

“We will be building a new youth pillar within the Community Product Group to focus on two things: (a) accelerating our integrity and privacy work to ensure the safest possible experience for teens and (b) building a version of Instagram that allows people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time.”

Current Instagram regulations technically prohibit the app’s usage by anyone under the age of 13, but the vast amount of users makes this rule impossible to enforce correctly. If a child were to download the app, there wouldn’t be any consequences. Even with reporting mechanisms that allow accounts to report other users who are under the age of 13, nobody feels the need to do so. 

The main motives behind the idea seem to be child safety, as the announcement came soon after the company came under fire for what appeared to be a spike in cyberbullying and inappropriate interactions between adults and minors. As such, a new AI-based feature that prevents random adults from messaging children was introduced a week ago. 

In the product release, Instagram summarized that the new feature uses machine learning technology to cross-reference dm requests with the ages that both profiles used during their signup process.

The same strategy was adopted by Facebook in 2017 when they released a new version of Messenger, which featured various parental controls. 

Finally, a recent blog update by Instagram previewed numerous other initiatives, including expanded access to information on Instagram privacy benefits. 

Lucy Thomas, Co-Founder of PROJECT ROCKIT, published the following:

“Around the world it’s widely understood that most social media platforms require a 13-year minimum age requirement, but the complexity of age verification remains a long-standing, industry-wide challenge. That’s why it’s positive to see Instagram investing in innovative technologies that can and will create a safer online environment for younger users. By using machine learning to flag potentially inappropriate interactions, improving teen privacy features and DM-ing younger users with realtime safety info, Instagram is equipping young people with tools to be the architects of their own online experience.”

Instagram is widely regarded as the most popular social media platform to date, and they have an enormous burden to maintain the safety of their young users.