Instagram has pre-empted federal action to protect young people on social media, launching 'Teen Accounts' designed to provide a safer and more controlled environment for teenage users.

"Many months in the making, today we launch Teen Accounts on Instagram, which will automatically place teens into built-in protections and reassure parents that teens are having safe experiences on our app," said Meta's Managing Director for Australia, Will Easton. "Instagram Teen Account protections are designed to address the biggest concerns of parents, including who their teens are interacting with online, the content they're seeing, and whether their time is being well spent."

The new feature, guided by parents, offers built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they can view, while also providing new ways for them to safely explore their interests.

It comes one week after the Albanese Government announced plans for new federal legislation that would limit social media access for teenagers below a certain age threshold. The age limit is yet to be determined, though proposed legislation in South Australia with cut off access for children under 14, and the Prime Minister has indicated his view is that the limit should be 16.

Instagram will automatically place teens into these 'Teen Accounts', and those under 16 will require parental permission to alter any of these settings to be less strict. The changes will be action within the next 60 days in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and later this year in the European Union. Teen Accounts will roll out globally in January with Meta set to launch Teen Accounts across its other platforms from next year.

The new protections on Instagram 'Teen Accounts' include automatic private account settings, messaging restrictions, content limits, and a new 'Sleep Mode' feature that mutes notifications at night. Additional parental supervision tools have also been introduced, allowing parents to see who their teen is messaging.

The introduction of 'Teen Accounts' has been met with positive responses from youth-focused organisations. Lucy Thomas OAM, CEO & Co-Founder of Project Rockit, commended the balanced approach of the new feature, stating, "These updates to Instagram's Teen Accounts offer a balanced approach, empowering parents with essential oversight while respecting teens' right to participate and explore."

CEO of the Butterfly Foundation, Jim Hungerford, said: "We're very pleased to see Meta taking the lead on this critical issue in terms of protecting young people online, particularly around the very real issues relating to body image. Meta is driving platform safety innovations to protect young people's mental health, importantly involving parents or other carers where appropriate."

CEO & Co-Founder, Project Rockit, Lucy Thomas OAM, said: "Young people are constantly seeking agency and connection, and they also need safety and guidance in online spaces. These updates to Instagram's Teen Accounts offer a balanced approach, empowering parents with essential oversight while respecting teens' right to participate and explore. In an ever-evolving online world, this update ensures that young people can engage meaningfully and safely, fostering positive connections while still providing the protection they need."