“To protect teens from unwanted contact with adults, we are introducing a new feature that prevents adults from sending messages to people under the age of 18 who are not following them” Instagram announces in a statement posted on its website March 16, 2021.
Concretely, an adult who wishes to send a DM (direct messages) to a minor will receive a notification indicating that the option is not available . Obviously, it will always be possible for members of a family to dialogue together. It will then suffice for the minor to follow the account of his parents, for example.
INSTAGRAM ENCOURAGES MINORS TO KEEP THEIR ACCOUNTS PRIVATE
To identify Instagram accounts opened by Internet users under the age of 18 and accounts held by adults, Instagram explains that it relies on artificial intelligence doped with machine learning (machine learning). Machine learning is a technology that allows computers to learn without having to be programmed beforehand. The AI thus evolves over its experiences without action on the part of a programmer.
That's not all. Instagram will also encourage teens to keep their accounts private in order to protect themselves against possible predators. “Our goal is to encourage young people to opt for a private account” summarizes Instagram. Regularly, the social network will detail the advantages of a private account by sending notifications to users under the age of 18.
In the same vein, Instagram will regularly send safety recommendations to the youngest. If the social network notices that an adult who exhibited suspicious behavior is talking to a teenager, a notification will be sent to the minor. “If an adult sends a large number of friend requests or messages to people under the age of 18, we will alert the recipients,” says the California firm.
All of these new features are already available in a handful of countries. In the days and weeks to come, these new precautions will be offered around the world , Instagram promises.