Meta's ‘Teen Accounts' in UAE explained: Stricter privacy rules rolled out for under-16 Instagram users

Al Etihad

22-06-2025

22 June 2025 22:18
Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi) Meta has launched its 'Teen Accounts' feature for Instagram in the UAE, positioning the nation as one of the first in the region to benefit from enhanced online safety measures for adolescents. The move reflects the UAE's commitment to advancing digital wellbeing as part of its broader vision for a safe and balanced digital society. The rollout, announced during a youth-focused summit in Dubai last week, aligns closely with national efforts to promote online safety among the youth.
How Does It Work? Instagram Teen Accounts introduce a range of built-in safeguards specifically designed to protect users under the age of 16. Among the key features are stricter privacy controls that automatically set teen profiles to private, ensuring that only approved followers can view posts and interact with their content.Direct messaging is also limited so that teens can receive messages only from followers they have accepted. Sensitive content filters are set at the highest restriction levels, shielding teens from violent, sexual, or harmful material. Additionally, new interaction settings prevent strangers from tagging or mentioning teen users. These changes are aimed at reducing exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate online encounters. Another notable feature is the introduction of time management tools. Teens in the UAE will now see prompts encouraging them to take breaks after 60 minutes of daily usage. Notifications are automatically silenced overnight, between 10 pm and 7 am, to support healthy digital habits and better sleep hygiene.'Instagram Teen Accounts reflect the importance of tailoring teens' online experiences to their developmental stages, and implementing appropriate protections,' Rachel Rodgers, PhD Associate Professor of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, said in a statement.'Younger adolescents are more vulnerable as their skills are still emerging and require additional safeguards and protection. Overall, the settings are age-specific, with younger and older teens being offered different protections.'
Digital Safety DriveThe UAE's inclusion in this regional-first rollout underscores its leadership in online safety initiatives, according to Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, during the feature's announcement. The country has been at the forefront of digital governance through initiatives like the National Programme for Digital Wellbeing, led by the Digital Wellbeing Council.Authorities have long emphasised the need to protect children and teenagers from the risks associated with excessive or unsafe social media use. The collaboration between Meta and local stakeholders, including government bodies, educators, and parent advocates, is seen as a natural extension of these efforts.
Parents' Involvement While Teen Accounts automatically introduce new protections, many parents in the UAE are eager to take a more active role in their children's online experiences. In response, Meta is enhancing its supervision tools to give families greater oversight.
Parents will now be able to see who their teen has messaged over the past seven days, though they won't have access to the content of those conversations. They can also set daily time limits for how long their teen can use Instagram, with the app becoming inaccessible once the limit is reached.
In addition, parents have the option to block Instagram usage during specific periods, such as nighttime hours, with a single click. To further support informed guidance, Meta is also allowing parents to view the age-appropriate topics their teen has selected to explore, helping them better understand their child's online interests and preferences.
What If Teens Misrepresent Their Age? Some teens may attempt to bypass protections by misrepresenting their age. To address this, the company is requiring age verification in more places across the platform and is developing technology to proactively identify accounts that belong to teens, even if those accounts list an adult birth date. This technology will allow Meta to automatically apply Teen Account protections to suspected underage users. The strategy replaces an earlier measure that required age verification for accounts attempting to switch to an adult birthday, which had unintended consequences, such as inadvertently locking out some parents who shared devices with their teens.
Alongside these enforcement efforts, Meta is also enhancing its safeguards to ensure teens see age-appropriate content. The platform applies strict rules to remove content that violates its standards and limits the recommendation of sensitive material, including sexually suggestive posts or content related to suicide, self-harm, or sextortion risks.