Adult Instagram users can no longer only send direct messages to teens – IT Pro – News

Adults using Instagram can no longer send private messages to all teens. These teens must follow an adult first. Instagram will also warn teens if adults display “suspicious behavior” on the platform.

he met Teens mean Instagram Users between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Users must be at least thirteen years old before they can use the platform. Instagram says it wants to protect users from unwanted communication from adults. When an adult tries to send a private message to a teenager who is not following the adult, he or she will be notified that the private messages will not work until the teen follows the adult.

Teens will also receive reports sooner when adults exhibit “suspicious behavior.” For example, it might be adults who send lots of friends or message requests to teens. Teens will then receive a warning in Private Messages where they can, for example, block or report an adult. Instagram also says that a teenager shouldn’t feel obligated to respond and should be careful when sharing information, photos, and videos.

This alert feature should become available in “some countries” this month. Instagram is also working on the ways adults who engage in suspicious behavior are more likely to find teens. The platform cites as an example that it has become difficult for these adults to find teens in their “recommended users”, or that they are less likely to view their own content. In addition, Instagram is considering automatically hiding suspicious adults’ reactions between teen posts.

Instagram noted that for the new policy, it won’t work for all teens. Nowadays, users have to enter their age when creating an account, although the platform doesn’t have an easy way to verify this age. Therefore, the platform works on artificial intelligence and machine learning to better estimate users’ ages. For example, the platform wants to ensure that teens who pretend to be adults when registering are also protected on the platform.