Meta announces new changes for teens based on 5Rights principles 

5Rights today welcomed Meta’s announcement of new default higher privacy settings for teenagers on Instagram in line with the requirements of the Age-Appropriate Design Code, an end to notifications through the night, break reminders and more agency for young people over the content recommended to them. 

“It is very positive that services such as Instagram that are central to so many children’s lives are increasingly taking action towards the respect of their basic rights to privacy, safety and agency. Meta’s announcement today recognises the role that regulation such as the Age-Appropriate Design Code plays in driving such changes. More needs to be done to enforce these laws. Only when we have full and widespread compliance will we see a significantly better digital world for children. We look forward to continuing to engage with Meta and other companies as well as with regulators for these small steps to continue, and for bigger ones to follow,” said Leanda Barrington-Leach, 5Rights Executive Director. 

The changes announced today, to be rolled out first in the US, Canada, UK and Australia and then globally from January 2025, reflect 5Rights’ work to promote child consultation and design of service that reflects the age and development stages of child users. We will be assessing their impact over the coming months.