According to TechCrunch, Instagram has announced the release of new safety tools for parents to use to protect young users. A new centralised hub, called the “Family Centre” has been introduced by Meta, providing parents with new supervision and safety features, giving parents transparency into their children’s Instagram usage habits. Parents can monitor time spent on the app, followed accounts and receive notifications of any accounts they have reported. The announcement comes as Meta have been criticised for not doing enough to protect vulnerable users.
You wouldn’t give a child the keys to a vehicle and turn the other way and app safety is no different. Our most vulnerable users still remain in the dark when it comes to the most used apps on their phones and they are in desperate need of help. Young people are often given devices without the correct protection advice or even simple awareness on how to safely operate the apps that are freely available for them to install and use on a daily basis. However, it is often parents who lack the right skills to properly educate their children so hopefully this new initiative will be given the uptake it deserves, if not a few years late.