Meta Launches Special Instagram Accounts for Teenagers in Nigeria to Help Keep Them Safe Online

Peter Cholakov2 days ago

L-R: Oluwasola Obagbemi, Head of Communications, Sub-Saharan Africa at Meta, Darasimi Nadia, Child Actor

Meta, the company that owns Instagram, has started a new feature in Nigeria called Teen Accounts. This is part of Meta’s larger plan to make Instagram safer, more private, and more positive for teenagers in Africa.

As more young people in Nigeria start using Instagram, Meta says it’s very important to protect them from harmful or inappropriate content. Teenagers use Instagram to talk with friends and follow their interests. Parents want to be sure their children are safe while doing this.

What Are Teen Accounts?

Meta says Teen Accounts are specially designed accounts that help protect teenagers. They have strong privacy and safety settings built in. These accounts automatically limit who can message teens and what content they can see.

Also, if a user is under 16 years old, their Instagram account in Nigeria will automatically become a Teen Account. If a teen wants to make the account less strict, they’ll need a parent’s permission.

Meta’s Special Event for Teen Accounts Launch

To celebrate the launch of Teen Accounts in Nigeria, Meta held an event. They invited parents, teenagers, social media influencers, government officials, and journalists. At this event, they all talked about the new safety features and tools that come with Teen Accounts.

What Nigerian Officials Said

At the event, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, who works with Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said this new Meta policy matches the goals of Nigeria’s digital safety plan. He said the government has been working on laws and programs to protect children online, like the proposed Online Harms Protection Bill, which talks about age checks and parental controls.

He added that protecting children on the internet is very important, and Meta’s Teen Accounts will help support digital safety and the well-being of young people in Nigeria.

What Teen Accounts Can Do

Here are the main features and protections that come with Teen Accounts:

Private by Default: Teen accounts are private from the start. Strangers can’t see their posts or stories unless the teen accepts them as followers. Teens under 16 can’t change this setting without help from their parents.
Message Limits: Teens can only get messages from people they already follow or are connected with.
Less Sensitive Content: Instagram will hide sensitive or adult content in search, explore, feed, and reels for teen accounts.
Tag and Mention Control: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow.
Hidden Words Tool: This strong anti-bullying feature is turned on by default. It hides harmful words in comments and messages.
Daily Time Limit Reminders: Teens will get reminders to take a break after using Instagram for 60 minutes in one day.
Sleep Mode: From 10 PM to 7 AM, Instagram will mute notifications and send auto-replies to messages. This helps teens sleep without distractions.

Meta’s Comment on the Launch

Sylvia Musalagani, who leads safety policies for Meta in Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey, said Meta is very happy to bring Teen Accounts to Nigeria. She said these accounts are made to help teens use Instagram safely while parents stay involved in their online life.

She added, “These accounts let teens connect with friends and explore their interests without worrying about unsafe things online.”

Results So Far

Since Meta launched Teen Accounts around the world in September 2024, over 54 million teens have been enrolled in the program. About 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 have kept their accounts in the default, stricter safety settings.

What Parents Can Do With New Tools

Meta also shared some tools for parents who want to guide their teenagers’ Instagram use:

See Who Their Teen Interacts With: Parents can view a list of people their teen has messaged in the last 7 days (but not the content of the messages).
Set Daily Time Limits: Parents can decide how many minutes or hours per day their teen can use Instagram. After reaching that time, the app will lock for the rest of the day.
Block Instagram During Certain Hours: Parents can block access to Instagram at bedtime or during study time using just one tap.
See Topics Their Teen Follows: Parents can check what types of content or topics their teen is exploring. They’ll only see age-appropriate categories.

In Summary: Meta has started Teen Accounts on Instagram in Nigeria to help keep teenagers safe online. These accounts come with strong protections, and parents now have more tools to supervise their teens’ activities. Meta hopes this will help teenagers enjoy Instagram while keeping parents informed and confident.

Peter Cholakov2 days ago