NEWTOWN, Conn. – Sandy Hook Promise recognizes Meta’s efforts for introducing Teen Accounts to Instagram. The move boosts privacy protections for teen Instagram users and gives parents more insight into how their children engage with the platform.
Among the changes put in place by Instagram include a new privacy setting that, by default, places all teen users in private accounts. In order to switch to a public account, teens under age 16 will need a parent’s permission. The changes will also permit parents to now see the topics of posts their child has chosen to see more of and the accounts of the people their child recently messaged.
These features will empower parents to monitor if their child is engaging with potentially harmful individuals on the platform. This includes inappropriate content from those promoting firearms to kids, which, as Sandy Hook Promise has uncovered in its UnTargeting Kids report, is a major issue on the platform.
“We applaud Meta for introducing new features to its platforms to give parents more insight into what content their children are engaging with online and, ultimately, to keep kids safe. But there is more they can – and should – do,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “This information can facilitate important conversations within families about safe firearm usage and the influence of marketing on young, impressionable minds. Features like these reduce children’s exposure to content that can negatively impact their mental health, and prevent tragedies that can result from consuming harmful content.”
“We encourage Meta and other major tech companies to continue developing tools for parents and teenagers to increase their safety online while being vigilant of evolving online marketing tactics to reach children on these platforms. We remain steadfast in our support of the bipartisan Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) legislation to bolster these protections, and we encourage Meta to share in this support,” added Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
Sandy Hook Promise advocates for the end of aggressive and deceptive marketing tactics, especially those involving firearms, aimed at youth. The organization’s campaign, UnTargeting Kids, exposes the intentional marketing of firearms to children under 18 years old with “R-rated” content on guns without parental knowledge or consent. Through this campaign, Sandy Hook Promise educates and engages parents on how they can help end some of the most egregious examples of this marketing.
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The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to protecting all children from gun violence in schools, homes, and communities. The SHP Action Fund advances a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization. It is part of Sandy Hook Promise, founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646-761-5579