Does Instagram have parental controls?

Instagram is often your child’s first “public” platform — and while it’s built for connection, it’s also designed to gather data, surface risky content, and reward oversharing.

The good news is that this year, Instagram is globally introducing Teen Accounts(new window), which turn many of its privacy and safety features on by default for teenagers between 13 and 17. It also updated its supervision feature that allows parents to help manage their teen’s safety settings. While this is a good start, these features alone are not enough to ensure your child’s privacy, safety, and mental well being.

If you’re a parent looking to create a safer online space for your child, understanding Instagram’s data practices and how the platform works can help you talk with your child about how to stay safe, helping them develop healthy habits that they can use across the internet and for the rest of their life.

• What Instagram knows about your child
• The Instagram algorithm: What parents should understand
• Instagram’s Teen Accounts
• Instagram’s Family Center
• Design patterns that encourage oversharing
• How to talk about privacy with your child
• How to take a break – or opt out

What Instagram knows about your child

Meta (via Instagram) collects:

• Location (even when not actively using the app)
• Biometrics (via filters)
• Contacts (if synced)
• Interactions and engagement patterns
• Follower graphs and interest profiles

Meta can also collect data about your activity outside of Instagram and other Meta services (such as Facebook or WhatsApp) via third party partners and its Facebook pixel.

Instagram uses this data to power recommendations, sell ads, and refine the algorithm. Meta, the parent company behind Instagram, keeps user data after content is deleted and doesn’t define how long it may keep it for. Meta’s privacy policy(new window) explicitly states that the company “might” keep some account information, though it doesn’t specify what that information entails. The information Instagram collects can be preserved to respond to legal requests, comply with the law, for “safety, security and integrity” purposes, and for litigation. Additionally, Meta may keep information about users to review “suspicious activity,” including “suspected money laundering” or “terrorist funding.”

The data that Meta keeps on your child’s Instagram account, including their location, physical features and characteristics, personal contacts, social media interactions, and followers, can divulge far more information to Meta than a parent realizes. It’s important that parents know what kind of information Meta collects on children so they can protect their identity and privacy while ensuring a safe and age-appropriate user experience.

You can review how Meta uses your data, including your activity outside of Meta, to influence you and your online behaviors:

• Go to accountscenter.instagram.com/info_and_permissions/(new window) and click Your activity off Meta technologies to see what companies are sharing information about you with Meta. From there, you can manage future activity and disconnect activity so third parties no longer share your — or your child’s — browsing habits with Meta.

The Instagram algorithm: What parents should understand

Instagram’s data collection is only part of the equation. You should also be mindful of the content Instagram shows your child. Instagram uses the information it collects to show people content it thinks would be interesting or relevant to them. Discovering these content surprises can light up the same parts of your brain(new window) as other addictions, like alcohol or gambling.

You’ve likely heard about the Instagram algorithm, the platform’s intricate system that provides a personalized content experience based on a user’s activity. The algorithm is designed to optimize a user’s feed, keeping them on the platform longer by showing users content that is relevant to their interests. This system is influenced through Instagram’s Explore tab, Reels, suggested content, and user engagement.

It has also been accused of going too far. In 2024, a family in New York brought a class action lawsuit against Instagram(new window) for making its product “addictive”. The lawsuit relies heavily on testimony from the Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen(new window).

How does it work?

• The algorithm is driven by engagement signals including likes, comments and watch time
• Content doesn’t have to be followed to be surfaced
• Sensational content, which is often not age-appropriate, performs better

The last point is the most important. Social media outlets have found that sensation and divisive content(new window) is the most likely to be shared and keep people engaged, meaning these platforms are incentivized to show more of it. It’s very easy to feel like your feed has been taken over by content you don’t necessarily want. Earlier this year, Instagram saw a surge in bizarre and disturbing content(new window) (paywall), including surgeries and AI-generated videos. A side effect of this is people’s social media feed can slowly nudge them into radical media niches and warp their perception of reality(new window).

If you feel like Intagram’s algorithm is repeatedly showing you inappropriate or unwanted content, you can now reset it.

To get a fresh start with the Instagram algorith:

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.

2. Tap the menu button in the top right.
3. Scroll down until you see Content preferences. Tap it.
4. Tap Reset suggested content.
5. Follow the prompts. Instagram will wipe out your recommended content and let you start fresh.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t delete your data.

Learn more about resetting Instagram’s recommendations(new window)

Instagram’s Teen Accounts

Anyone under the age of 18 who signs up for Instagram will automatically be enrolled in a Teen Account and have many of Instagram’s settings switched to its most private option by default.

If teens already have an Instagram account, their account will automatically use the following privacy settings list below if they’re under the age of 16, even if their account was public previously.

Private accounts

Teen Accounts are set to Private by default, meaning they must accept new followers and people who aren’t followers can’t see their content.

Messaging

Teens can only receive messages from followers or people they have previously sent messages to. If someone isn’t follower, they cannot send your child a message request or add them to a group chat. (Followers can always send messages unless your teen blocks them.)

Tags and mentions

Photos and content from Teen Accounts can only be tagged or mentioned by followers.

Sensitive content

Meta claims Instagram’s feed, search results, and its Explore and Reels features will only show and suggest less sensitive content(new window).

Unfortunately, recent reporting by the nonprofits Accountable Tech and Design It For Us suggests the enhanced moderation isn’t as effective as Meta claims. These organizations created five test Teen Accounts and found that all five were algorithmically recommended sexual content and four were recommended body image and disordered eating content.

Read the report(new window)

Sleep mode

Teen Accounts automatically mute notifications, auto-reply to messages, and remind teens to close Instagram between 10 PM and 7 AM each night.

Daily time limits

Teens can use Instagram and Threads for a combined total of 60 minutes a day before they see a reminder to close the app.

Hidden Words

Teen Accounts automatically use the most restrictive version of Instagram’s Hidden Words feature, which hides messages and comments that include inappropriate or offensive content (for example, racial slurs or curse words).

These settings can’t be adjusted by teens under the age of 16 with their parents’ assistance. Once teens turn 16, they can adjust these privacy settings on their own unless their parents have set up supervision features.

Learn more about Instagram’s Teen Accounts(new window)

Instagram’s Family Center

If you’d like to be more involved in your teen’s feed, you can use Instagram’s Family Center to set up supervision features. This will let you see how much time your teen spends on Instagram, who they’re following, who is following them, and more.

It’s important that you talk to your teen before you try to set up supervision. Parental controls will be much less effective if your teen is openly hostile to the idea. Your real goal should be teaching your teen how to navigate the internet and social media maturely and healthily — you should think of these parental controls as a backstop.

To use supervision, you’ll need to get your teen to accept an invite. Your teen can also invite you, but then they’ll need to re-confirm once you accept their invite.

To send your teen an invite for supervision:

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.

2. Tap the menu button in the top right.
3. Scroll down until you see Family Center. Tap it.
4. Tap Invite your teen.
5. Select your teen’s Instagram account and tap Invite. If you can’t find your teen’s account or don’t follow them, you can tap share a link instead, which will generate an invite link you can copy and paste into your chosen app to share with your teen.

Once your teen accepts, they’ll need your permission to adjust privacy settings. You’ll also be able to set a hard time limit (instead of giving the teen a reminder after 60 minutes, a parent can use supervision controls to block the app).

Learn more about Instagram’s Family Center(new window)

Design patterns that encourage oversharing

In addition to privacy concerns and radicalization, Instagram and social media use can have negative impacts on children. Increased social media use among kids is correlated with poor mental health, including negative self-image, anxiety, depression, bullying, and risky behavior.

Instagram’s manipulative design can exacerbate these issues among children. Beauty filters and influencer culture reinforce appearance anxiety and consumerism, encouraging children to purchase makeup, clothing, and expensive and trendy new items to fit in.

Additionally, features like Instagram stories and highlights reward oversharing and encourage users to always be “on.” This can be especially harmful to kids who rely on social media for community and to “fit in.”

Instagram’s “People You May Know” feature can also nudge children toward unwanted connections, like age-inappropriate accounts or school bullies.

To keep your child safe on Instagram, it’s important to talk to them about their experiences on social media. Topics you can discuss include:

• What kinds of attention feel good — and which feel weird
• What they’ve seen in Explore that made them uncomfortable
• How they decide who to follow or interact with

How to talk about privacy with your child

It isn’t always easy to talk to teens about their social media use, but talking to your child about the potential dangers of Instagram is one way to ensure your teenager is using the platform responsibly. Follow these scripts and strategies the next time you want to discuss online privacy with your child in a way that encourages their autonomy and safety.

“Instagram is built to keep you scrolling and sharing. We want you to be in charge of it, not the other way around.”

Model the idea that privacy is a sign of maturity, not restriction.

“Social media can be fun, but we want you to be in control so you can disengage when it doesn’t feel positive.”

• Ask: “What are some things you can do when you see something online that makes you feel bad?
• Try brainstorming activities together that encourage taking a break from the internet.

How to take a break – or opt out

For parents considering more active interventions, here’s how you can delete an account.

Download account data

Before deleting your account, you may want to have a copy of your data. Follow these steps to download:

Remember that Instagram can’t remove some data. Screenshots other people have taken of your profile (including messages, photos, likes, and comments) may still exist, as will direct messages you sent to someone else.

Ultimately, Instagram can be a fun space for kids, but it’s up to you to create a safe environment for them. It’s important to have regular conversations about privacy, risky behavior on the internet, and the mental health effects of social media. With an open dialogue and the right tools, you can take steps to ensure your child has a healthy relationship with social media that prioritizes their privacy and safety.

At Proton, we advocate for a better internet, starting with your family’s privacy and safety. As kids spend more time online, we want to educate parents on how to maintain their child’s privacy, reduce data collection, and create a safe place for all.