Instagram Introduces Changes To Its Platform To Protect Youth

Tuesday on Facebook Explains changes to Instagram’s advertising and privacy policies underage users of the photo sharing site sexual predators and tyranny.

The social network that owns Instagram said it will change its advertising policy to reduce hyper-targeted ads to teens. Advertisers on Instagram and Facebook, who previously used people’s interests and activity on other websites to target their ads, can now use only age, gender and location information to show ads to users under the age of 18.

The company said that new Instagram accounts created by those under the age of 16 will also be private by default, meaning that the account’s posts can only be viewed by approved followers. Facebook said its research shows that 80 percent of young users will stay in the default private environment.

Facebook also said it’s developing technology to prevent accounts with “potentially suspicious behavior” from seeing or interacting with people under the age of 18 on Instagram.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for more online protection for children. A bill proposed with bipartisan support, Children’s and Teenagers’ Online Privacy Protection Actwill prohibit targeted ads targeting children and require user consent to collect information from users under the age of 15.

Despite this, Facebook continues to move forward with plans to create Instagram for kids under 13. Attorneys General for 44 states and jurisdictions also a International coalition of 35 child and consumer groups. Facebook’s critics citation research shows that social media use leads to an increase in mental distress, body image concerns, and suicidal thoughts.

In blog post On Tuesday, Facebook’s vice president of youth products, Pavni Diwanji, said the company uses artificial intelligence to verify users’ ages. For example, birthday messages addressed to a user can be used to determine someone’s age in addition to the age they entered on Instagram and other Facebook apps.

“This technology is not perfect and we are always working to improve it, but that’s why it’s important that we use it in combination with many other signals to understand people’s age,” Ms.