Instagram expands teen safety features in MENA, including UAE

Dubai: Instagram - a subsidiary of US social media giant Meta - is expanding its enhanced teen accounts and stricter content controls across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the company said in a statement issued Friday.

The move has been aimed at ensuring safer, age-appropriate experiences for young users.

The update will automatically place all users under 18 into a revised 13+ content setting, limiting their exposure to sensitive or potentially harmful material. Teens will not be able to opt out of these protections without parental approval.

The rollout includes tighter content filtering, ensuring teens see safer, age-appropriate content by default. The platform will further restrict posts featuring strong language, risky stunts and content that could encourage harmful behaviour.

Existing policies already block sexually suggestive content, graphic imagery and adult-related material such as tobacco or alcohol promotion.

Instagram is also introducing a new “Limited Content” setting, giving parents the option to apply even stricter controls.

Under this setting, teens will see significantly reduced content and will not be able to view, leave or receive comments on posts.

The platform will block teens from following accounts that regularly share inappropriate content. It will also prevent such accounts from interacting with teens through messages, comments or follows.

Search functions are being tightened as well, with more mature terms — including those related to alcohol or graphic content — being restricted, even if misspelled.

Instagram said it has improved its technology to proactively detect and filter inappropriate content across feeds, Reels, Explore and direct messages.

AI tools have also been updated to ensure responses remain suitable for users aged 13 and above.

The move comes amid growing global scrutiny over child safety on social media platforms — including a landmark case involving Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms.

Earlier this year, Meta was fined $375 million in the United States after a jury found the company misled users about platform safety and exposed children to harm. The ruling followed evidence that internal warnings about risks to young users had been ignored.

The case marked a major turning point in how regulators and courts approach online child protection, with increasing pressure on tech firms to introduce stronger safeguards.

Instagram said the updated Teen Account settings are now being rolled out gradually across MENA and will be fully implemented in the coming months.

The company acknowledged that no system is perfect but said it is committed to continuous improvement, with the aim of giving parents more control and reassurance over their children’s online experiences.