Facebook-owned Instagram announced that it is updating Instagram with additional security features on Tuesday. With the new security feature, Instagram will change the account type of teen users under 16 to “Private”. As per the report, The social media platform uses AI to detect user’s age.
“We think private accounts are the right choice for young people, but we recognize some young creators might want to have public accounts to build a following,” Instagram said in a blog post. “We want to strike the right balance of giving young people all the things they love about Instagram while also keeping them safe.”
While the changes are praised by many tech experts, it also faces criticism from a large group. “We’ve been telling Facebook for years to stop targeting teens on both Facebook and Instagram and to protect their privacy,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Centre for Digital Democracy, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit. “We have a lot of questions. We’re not alone.”
Despite this, the new security feature taking up effect on Tuesday.