New Instagram Users Age 16 and Under Will Have Private Accounts by Default

Instagram is working to make its platform “safer and more private” for younger users. The social media company is defaulting minors’ accounts private when they join Instagram.

“Wherever we can, we want to stop young people from hearing from adults they don’t know, or that they don’t want to hear from,” the company wrote in a blog. “We believe private accounts are the best to prevent this from happening.”

New users 16-years-old and under will have their accounts private by default. In some countries, the age is 18. Younger users will have to go into their settings to make their profiles public.

“Historically, we asked young people to choose between a public account or a private account when they signed up for Instagram, but our recent research showed that they appreciate a more private experience,” the company said in the blog post.

“The reality is that they are already online and, with no foolproof way to stop people from misrepresenting their age, we want to build experiences designed specifically for them, managed by parents and guardians.”