Lyra Martin Tech 08.25.2022 23:Aug PM EDT

Instagram Tightens Default Content Settings for Users 16 Years Old and Below

The strictest Sensitive Material Control level will be automatically applied to new users under the age of 16, and they will get push alerts asking them to choose additional filters to prevent sensitive and violent material.

Instagram Will Set the Most Strict Sensitive Content Control as Default for Teen Users

The most restricted setting for Sensitive Content Control (via The Verge), which is called "Less," will now be the default account setting for new users under the age of sixteen. The platform will show push alerts urging teen users under 16 years old to select whether to have more limitation applied to their Feed Recommendations, Search, Explore, Hashtag Pages, Reels, and Suggested Accounts.

In contrast to "Less" and "More," Instagram's "Standard" setting restricts users' access to private data. Teenagers are limited to using "Standard" and "Less," but people over the age of 18 are permitted to utilize "Standard," "Less," and "More."

Instagram's spokesman cited violent protest footage as an example of the kind of material the "Less" option would prohibit that the Standard setting would allow, writes Engadget. Only profiles that teenagers don't truly interact with are subject to content controls.

Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, was questioned about the psychological an emotial effects of the platform to its underage users by a Senate panel last year. The platform offered additional adolescent safety features prior to the hearing, such as a warning when users were using the app excessively and an opportunity to alert parents to disturbing information. With Instagram's new parental controls, parents can control time limits and keep track of who their adolescent follows.

With the help of parents or guardians via Instagram's Family Center, teen users will be less likely to notice changes from this new version. It is difficult to imagine how many young people with full Instagram access would pick the tightest restrictions if their peers use a more lenient setting.

A BeReal-Like Feature Will Presumbaly be Unveiled by Instagram

Aside from Instagram's tightened Sensitive Content Control announcement, the platform is predicted to launch Candid Challenges, a new feature that resembles a Gen Z photo-sharing app called BeReal (via Engadget). Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer, known for reverse engineering apps and finding early upgrades, spotted the undisclosed feature. Instagram says the feature is an internal prototype" but did not go further.

Instagram users who participate in Candid Challenges will get a daily reminder, says Paluzzi. After receiving the warning, users will have two minutes to shoot a shot with Instagram's front- and rear-facing cameras.

BeReal, a selfie app marketed as a more direct and real social networking network, provides a similar function. Since 2019 the feature notifies users to take a photo daily utilizing both the front and rear cameras on their phones. After two minutes, users may view their friends' stock photos.

Recently, BeReal has gained popularity among Generation Z and became #1 in the Apple App Store, surpassing Facebook and Instagram, both placed 8th. Throughout the summer, it was one of the most downloaded free apps.

Instagram described the feature as an internal prototype that has not been put to external testing, so it is unclear whether or when it will be implemented. However, the idea that the company is testing the feature shows a probability that it may integrate it into its service.

The future of Meta, in Mark Zuckerberg's opinion, depends on attracting young people who spend more time on non-Meta media. The corporation is known for keeping an eye on its competitors and poaching feature concepts from other platforms, even if TikTok is its greatest adversary. In fact, a similar feature to the BeReal shooting method, called the "Dual" option, has been released by Instagram for its in-app camera.

Tags Instagram Default Content Setting