Instagram Now Protecting Young Users From Potential Online Predators

Instagram is taking matters into its own hands. Why? The world of social media can be a dangerous trap if not regulated with the right levels of social structures. Especially for young teens who are beginning to explore what the world of social media is about. Now, Instagram is adding safety measures designed to protect teenagers from unwanted direct messages from adults. If you are familiar with how easy it can be to send direct messages to users, you can only imagine if a character with ill intentions found the same level of ease.

Older users will be able to privately message teenagers who follow them only. The messages will also be overlaid with a notice reminding teenagers they need not respond to anything that makes them uncomfortable.The measures will work only if accounts have users’ correct ages, which young people sometimes lie about to avoid restrictions on what they can see. Likewise, predators might pretend to be younger than they actually are.

Instagram said it was developing “new artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology” to help tackle the challenge of age verification, especially in cases where account holders have not been honest.

The minimum age for using Instagram is officially 13. The platform also said it now offers young account holders the option to make their accounts private when created. them. “If the teen doesn’t choose ‘private’ when signing up, we send them a notification later on, highlighting the benefits of a private account and reminding them to check their settings,” it blogged.