What Instagram's New Safety Changes Mean for Teens

Plus, our official review of iOS 18, and our proprietary mattress testing device. [View in web browser]( [CNET logo]( Insider Sep 17, 2024 Say Hello to Instagram Teen Accounts Big safety changes are coming to Instagram for the teens who use it. The platform's parent company, Meta, announced today that all existing accounts belonging to teens under 16 years old will be subject to a [host of new restrictions]( including making the accounts private by default; limiting DMing and tagging from unknown accounts; and implementing more-stringent rules for sensitive content. Instagram will begin migrating teen accounts today and will continue to do so for the next 60 days. And no, there's no opting out. Concerns about kids online are about as old as the internet itself, and with these updates, Meta is trying to address long-standing parental complaints about Instagram. Platforms like Meta's face an uphill battle when making changes, because, while we might agree we want the internet to be a safer place for kids and teens, we disagree about how to actually make that happen. We'll have to wait and see how parents and teens react before knowing if Meta's onto something. Katelyn Chedraoui Writer, CNET [Instagram's New Teen Accounts: What Parents and Kids Need to Know]( [Meta is reimagining Instagram for teens as a safe place for them to interact with their friends and explore their interests.]( display: block; max-width: 116px; max-height: 15px; display: block; max-width: 69px; max-height: 15px; Insider Essentials [CNET's Mattress Smasher 9000 Helps Measure a Bed's Firmness]( [We've leveled up our mattress testing game with a proprietary CNET device.]( [iOS 18 Review: Get Ready to Customize Your iPhone Even More]( [This iOS version improves on functions you know and love without forcing you to relearn how to use them.]( [A Woman Mailed Herself an AirTag to Catch Thieves: Here's Why It Worked]( [This viral reverse heist worked once, but if you want to try something similar, you'll need to get very lucky.]( CNET Recommends [Bag a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus With Up to $300 Off Today]( [Now's your chance to save on a new Samsung tablet, but you'll need to act fast.]( [CNET] You are receiving this email because you've signed up to receive newsletters and promotional content from [CNET.com](. To update your account, please visit our [Newsletter subscription center](. [Unsubscribe]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Privacy Policy]( CNET 235 Second Street San Francisco, CA 94105 U.S.A. [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tiktok]( [Facebook]( [X]( [Flipboard]( © 2024 CNET, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved.