Instagram owner announces new restrictions for teenage users

Teenagers using Instagram will be prevented from using some of its features without parental permission as part from an update to the app.

Instagram owner Meta has announced users who are under 16 will not be able to livestream without the approval of their parents. They will also need permission to disable a feature within the app's messages, which automatically blurs images containing potential nudity.

The updates are an expansion of the social media giant's Teen Accounts system, which Meta has announced is being extended to Facebook and Messenger. Meta launched its Teen Account programme for Instagram in September to give parents more options to supervise their children's online activity.

It follows a growing backlash about how social media affects the lives of young people. Meta said around 54 million teenagers globally had been moved on to Teen Accounts and the latest changes will be rolled out first to users in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Other safeguards already in place for teen Instagram users include: setting accounts to private by default, blocking private messages from strangers, strict limits on sensitive content, reminders to take screen breaks and restricting notifications during bedtime hours. Read more:Teenagers exposed to 'horrific' content onlineFamily reveal fears for son as Adolescence 'touched a nerve' Increasing regulation has motivated platforms to give parents greater control over their children's access to and use of social media.

In the UK, the Online Safety Act is coming into force, requiring the biggest tech platforms to take action to prevent users, and particularly children, from encountering illegal or harmful content. But tech giants have also been under huge pressure over the use of end-to-end encryption within messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, over concerns it will be harder to tackle child abuse.

The NSPCC has accused Mark Zuckerberg's firm of "choosing to turn a blind eye to crimes against children" by rolling out encryption within Messenger. The firm argues that the feature is vital to protecting users' privacy..