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| Instagram launches a new parental control tool |
Instagram has unveiled new tools to help parents monitor and limit their children's use of the photo-sharing app, months after a revelation that raised concerns about the platform's impact on young users.
With these tools, parents can see how much time their kids spend on Instagram. Also, they can set usage limits for the platform and see which accounts they are following or following.
These options are currently available to parents in the US and are due to roll out globally in the coming months.
At the end of last year, Adam Mosseri announced the new option in a post. It also announces some features that were released at that time.
These features target younger users directly, for example by encouraging them to take a break after a certain period of time.
Frances Hoggin has leaked hundreds of internal documents over the past year, some of which suggest the company was aware of how Instagram affects mental health, particularly in teenage girls.
Lawmakers questioned Facebook and Instagram executives about the documents and other documents during the hearing. The company has temporarily halted plans to release a version of the platform for children under the age of 13.
Instagram Family & Parental Control Center
The new tools also include the ability for parents and guardians to share notifications when teens report someone on the app, Mosseri wrote.
For example, over the next few months, parents will be able to set specific times of the day when their teens can use the app.
“Teens should start the monitoring process from their smartphone or tablet,” Mosseri said. Beginning in June, adults can apply to supervise a teen's account through an app or mobile website. But the teens have not yet agreed to the consent request.
These tools are part of the Meta Family Center, which aims to create a central place for parents to monitor how their children use Meta's various apps and technologies.
New parental controls are also available for VR headsets and the induction platform. Oculus says parents will soon be able to block access to apps they don't want their kids to use. In the coming months, parents will also be able to see how long their children spend using virtual reality through the Oculus app.