Instagram is tightening social networking rules for minors to protect teens from unwanted posts and comments.

According to Instagram, a private account is ideal, but also social network management understands that some young authors may want to have an open account. That’s why Instagram wants to strike a balance between security and privacy.

In this regard, the social network has prepared a number of changes:

• Minors will be encouraged to switch to a private account;
• makes it harder to find accounts of young people for potentially suspicious users – the social network will not show suspicious adult accounts of young people in the sections “Overview”, “Reels” or “Accounts offered to you”..;
• limitations on advertisers’ ability to select under-18 audiences – previously available targeting options, such as those based on interests or activity in other apps, will no longer be available to advertisers. These changes will be global and will apply to Instagram, Facebook and Messenger;
• closed accounts for users under the age of 16 – starting this week, anyone under the age of 16 (or 18 for some countries) will only be able to choose a closed account when registering. After that, you’ll be able to choose an open account.

The listed updates are already in effect in the U.S., Australia, France, the U.K., and Japan, and will appear in other countries soon.