Meta's New Age Limit: Under-16s to Miss Out on Instagram Livestreams

Instagram has restricted users below the age group of 16 from livestreaming and unblurring nudity in direct messages received by them without parental approval on April 8. The move by the parent company of the video-sharing platform, Meta Platforms, aims to increase safety for teenagers. The company said that it will expand “Teen Accounts” to other platforms like Facebook and Messenger, according to a statement. 

“With these changes, teen under 16 will be prohibited from going Live unless their parents give them permission to do so. We’ll also require teens under 16 to get parental permission to turn off our feature that blur images containing suspected nudity in DMs,” said Meta in a post.

Instagram Teen Accounts 

This comes just months after Meta introduced Teen Accounts in India on Instagram in a phased manner to ensure that teenagers on the platform have a safe experience. Through these accounts, Meta offers the highest safety for teenagers, including adopting ways to prevent age misrepresentation and curtailing sensitive content to make the online space more secure. 

Besides this, parents have the option to monitor recent contacts, set screen time limits, and limit app usage during certain hours. 

“At Meta, creating a safer and more responsible digital environment is a top priority. With the expansion of Instagram Teen Accounts to India, we are strengthening protections, enhancing content controls, and empowering parents, while ensuring a safer experience for teens,” said Natasha Jog, Director, Public Policy India, Instagram, in a blog post on February 11.