Instagram’s ‘teen accounts’ provide false sense of security, consumer group warns

Instagram’s newly introduced “Teen Accounts” feature is meant to provide better online protection for young users, but a new study by the Dutch Consumers’ Association (Consumentenbond) finds the safeguards largely ineffective. The organization warns that Meta, Instagram’s parent company, is misleading consumers with promises of automatic protections that do not adequately address the platform’s risks.

Instagram has implemented several default settings for accounts belonging to users between 13 and 17 years old. These accounts are automatically set to private, preventing strangers from viewing their posts. Additionally, teenagers can only receive private messages from users they already follow. While these measures reportedly offer minor improvements, the study finds that they fail to tackle the platform’s fundamental issues, including addictive algorithms, harmful content that may damage self-esteem, and extensive data collection on teenage users.

Furthermore, the age verification system remains weak. Instagram relies on the birthdate provided by the user at sign-up, with no rigorous age-checking mechanisms in place. This means that underage users can still access the platform by simply entering a false birthdate.

Time limit feature offers no real restriction

One of the most touted safety measures in the Teen Accounts feature is a time limit designed to reduce excessive screen time. However, the study reveals that this feature is largely ineffective. When teenagers reach their preset time limit, Instagram merely displays a notification, which they can easily dismiss and continue scrolling without restriction.

The only way to enforce a strict time limit is for parents to manually activate a hard stop feature. However, doing so requires the parent to have their own Instagram account, forcing them to share their personal data with Meta as well.

The Dutch Consumers’ Association urges parents not to place blind trust in Instagram’s promises of automatic protections. Despite the company’s claims, little has changed in how the platform operates. The study finds that Instagram remains primarily focused on maximizing user screen time rather than genuinely prioritizing youth safety.

“If Instagram truly cared about young users’ safety, it would address the platform’s addictive design, invasive data collection practices, and exposure to harmful content,” said Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers’ Association. “Right now, it’s just empty words.”