Instagram to restrict features for Singapore users suspected to be under 18
newsare.net
SINGAPORE — From Tuesday (Jan 21), Instagram accounts belonging to users under 18 years old in Singapore will have more restrictive settings by default as the app faces growing pressure to protect children online. Instagram users suspected to be underageInstagram to restrict features for Singapore users suspected to be under 18
SINGAPORE — From Tuesday (Jan 21), Instagram accounts belonging to users under 18 years old in Singapore will have more restrictive settings by default as the app faces growing pressure to protect children online. Instagram users suspected to be underage will be prompted to confirm their age by providing photo identification or submitting a video selfie. The move, part of a global clean-up of accounts belonging to users who have lied about their age, was first rolled out in the United States and Britain in late 2024 in response to global pressure to safeguard young users from addiction, cyberbullying and harmful content. Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in particular, has faced criticism as a wave of US state attorneys in 2023 accused Meta of hooking children on its apps without mitigating their risks. Instagram's Teen Account settings — such as being invisible to strangers and receiving messages only from people they follow — will kick in if users cannot prove their age. Videos of people fighting, promoting cosmetic procedures, violent movie scenes and other sensitive content will also be kept off the feeds of teen accounts. Read more