Instagram is making the experience for underage users much more private, it announced Tuesday.
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The social network said in a blog post that it will automatically default any new user under 16 to a private account. Instagram said that current users in that age range with a public account will be able to keep it public. However, they will be encouraged about the benefits of a private account.
“Historically, we asked young people to choose between a public or private account when they signed up for Instagram, but our recent research showed that they prefer a more private experience. During testing, eight in 10 young people accepted the private defaults when signing up,” Instagram wrote in its blog post announcing the new updates.
Instagram is also rolling out new technology designed to prevent accounts that have engaged in suspicious behavior toward younger users from appearing in the Explore tab or Reels. The company said these accounts "include adult accounts that may have recently been blocked or reported by a young person."
