Meta Launches Instagram Teen Accounts in Nigeria

Meta, the company behind Instagram, has launched Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria. This new move is all about making Instagram safer and more positive for young people in the country. As more Nigerian teens join Instagram, Meta wants to make sure they are protected from harmful or unsafe experiences online.

The launch of Meta Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria is part of Meta’s bigger plan to keep teens safe across Africa. Parents often worry about what their children see and do online. With these new Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria, Meta hopes to give parents peace of mind, knowing their children have extra protections while using the app.

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These new teen accounts come with several special features. First, all teen accounts are set to private by default. This means only people teens approve can see their posts and stories. Teens under 16 need their parent’s permission to make their account public or change any safety settings to be less strict.

Meta Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria also have messaging restrictions. Teens can only get messages from people they already know and follow. This helps prevent strangers from contacting them. The accounts also limit what kind of content teens see. They will automatically see less sensitive or inappropriate content in their search results, Explore page, Feed, and Reels.

Another important feature is that only people teens follow can tag or mention them. Plus, a strong anti-bullying tool called “Hidden Words” is turned on by default. This tool hides offensive words and phrases in comments and messages, helping protect teens from online bullying.

To help teens manage their time, Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria send reminders if a teen spends more than 60 minutes a day on the app. There’s also a “Sleep Mode” that turns off notifications and sends automatic replies to messages from 10 PM to 7 AM, so teens can get a good night’s rest.

To celebrate the launch, Meta held a special event in Nigeria. Parents, teens, content creators, and policy makers came together to learn about these new safety features. Barrister Emmanuel Edet from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) praised the move. He said it matches Nigeria’s goals for protecting children online and making sure their data is safe.

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Meta also wants to help parents be more involved in their teens’ online lives. With new supervision tools, parents can see who their teen has messaged in the past week (but not the actual messages), set daily time limits, and block Instagram during certain hours like bedtime. Parents can also see what topics their teen is interested in, making it easier to talk about online experiences.

Since Meta started rolling out Teen Accounts globally in September 2024, over 54 million teens have been enrolled, with most sticking to the strict safety settings. With the launch of Meta Instagram teen accounts in Nigeria, Meta is showing its commitment to keeping Nigerian teens safe, while letting them connect with friends and explore their interests online.

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