Instagram has set out new parental controls for users on the platform including an option to set a daily time limit. Parents will be able to schedule break times for their kids and set time limits ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours on the app. Once the time limit is exhausted, a black screen appears on the app.
They will also get updates on accounts the teens are following, who is following them and the accounts they are reporting.
Last year, Meta attracted backlash after whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed Meta’s moderation lapses. A report publicized by the WSJ showed that Facebook’s internal investigation revealed that the app was causing mental and body image issues to young users on the app.
Read: Instagram Rolls out New Messaging Features Including Ability to Share Music
A Senate panel grilled Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri in December about children’s internet safety. The company subsequently introduced the ‘take a break’ feature which allows users to pause using the platform and suspended the development of the kids’ version of Instagram whaich was already underway.
Parents and guardians will be able to initiate the process with a prompt for the teens to grant permission. The company says it is also developing additional features such as allowing the guardians to set a specific time when a teen can use the app.
The company is also testing a ‘nudge’ feature that will prompt teens to scroll new topics if they repeatedly search for the same thing.
The feature was first rolled out to the users in March this year, and is currently being rolled out to users in the UK. Meta has not confirmed when it will be rolled out to other regions.
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