Meta is stepping up efforts to protect children on Instagram with a new round of child safety features. The update specifically targets adult-managed accounts that post content featuring kids, aiming to stop exploitation and improve platform security.
Adult-Managed Accounts Under Scrutiny
While Instagram bans children under 13 from creating accounts, the platform allows adults—such as parents or talent managers—to manage profiles if they clearly state so in the bio.
These accounts often promote young influencers or child performers. While most are used responsibly, Meta warns that some adults try to exploit them, leaving sexualized comments or requesting explicit images via DMs.
To combat this, Meta is now applying several Teen Account protections to these accounts.
What’s Changing?
New protections for adult-managed child accounts include:
- Strictest DM settings to block unwanted messages
- Hidden Words to filter offensive comments
- Downranking content to avoid recommending posts to suspicious adults
- Automatically hiding comments from suspicious users
Meta says these features aim to minimize visibility to predators while preserving engagement from legitimate followers.
More Safety Features in DMs
Meta also introduced DM transparency tools for teen users:
- Teens can now see account creation dates of those messaging them
- Quick-access buttons let users block and report suspicious behavior instantly
- Safety tips remind users to stay cautious in private chats
The popular Nudity Protection tool, turned on by default for teens, now covers almost 99% of users, Meta said.
Impact So Far
Meta says it removed:
- 135,000 Instagram accounts for leaving sexual comments or requesting explicit images from child-focused profiles
- 500,000 linked Facebook and Instagram accounts connected to those offenders
In June alone, users blocked 1 million accounts, reported 1 million more, and triggered Safety Notices in record numbers.
The platform also introduced a Location Notice feature to fight sextortion scams by warning users if someone may be lying about their country.
Conclusion
The latest Instagram child safety features reflect a stronger commitment from Meta to protect vulnerable users. With predators exploiting even legitimate accounts, these tools mark an important step in making the platform safer for kids—especially in adult-managed spaces.
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