Teenagers in the UAE will now benefit from “teen accounts” on Instagram, a new initiative announced by Meta on June 19. The move is aimed at enhancing online safety for adolescents and providing greater peace of mind for parents.
These accounts come with default privacy and safety features designed to deliver the most protective content and age-appropriate digital experiences. Developed with input from psychologists, parents, and safety experts, teen accounts implement built-in restrictions that regulate who can contact teens, the content visible to them, and the amount of time they can spend on the app.
Teens under the age of 16 in the UAE will be automatically enrolled in these accounts. To modify any of the pre-set safety features toward a less strict configuration, they will need permission from a parent or guardian.
This initiative is part of Meta’s broader digital wellbeing and safety commitment, especially focused on younger users in the region.
The teen accounts include six new safety features:
Private Accounts: Teen profiles are set to private by default. Those under 16 can only make their accounts public with parental or guardian help.
Messaging Restrictions: By default, teens cannot be messaged by users they don’t already follow, protecting them from unwanted interactions.
Sensitive Content Control: Teens will automatically be placed in the strictest content filter settings, limiting their exposure to sensitive material in the “Explore” and “Reels” sections.
Limited Interactions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by accounts they follow. Instagram’s strongest anti-bullying tool, “hidden words,” will also be turned on automatically to block offensive language in comments and DM requests.
Time Limit Reminders: Notifications will prompt teens to leave the app after 60 minutes of daily use.
Sleep Mode: Activated from 10pm to 7am, this feature mutes all notifications and sends automatic replies to DMs during the night.
The announcement was made during the Youth Summit on June 18 at Emirates Towers in Dubai. The event brought together UAE policymakers, parents, experts, and teens to discuss improving digital experiences for young users and address emerging trends in youth wellbeing.
The summit featured a workshop led by parent influencer and author Helen Farmer, Arab Child Summit co-founder and educator Deema Al Alami, and clinical psychologist Dr. Tanya Dharamshi of Lighthouse Arabia. The session explored Instagram’s supervision tools and offered guidance on fostering healthy digital habits.
Meta also announced collaborations with regional parent content creators like Alaa Abou Harb, The Afrobysara Family, and Jana Alhafarand. Together, they will produce short-form videos and safety tips on Instagram to help families easily access and understand the platform’s new safety tools.