Facebook Inc.’s Instagram will steer teenagers toward private accounts and limit how ads are shown to them, amid rising concerns from federal lawmakers and state attorneys general about social media’s effects on children’s mental health.
Facebook, which also is continuing to work toward launching a version of Instagram for users under the age of 13, said the changes for teens reflect its commitment to better serve as well as protect younger users. The changes were announced on Instagram’s blog Tuesday and are rolling out this week.
“Instagram has been on a journey to really think thoughtfully about the experience that young people have,” said Karina Newton, Instagram’s head of public policy, in an interview ahead of the announcement. “We need to get this right.”
As part of the changes, Instagram will make accounts private by default for anyone under the age of 18, a setting that means their posts can be viewed only by people with whom they choose to connect.
Ms. Newton said the decision to default teenagers’ accounts into a private setting reflected that younger users might not be automatically ready for the public exposure that Instagram can bring.
