This initiative is part of Meta’s broader commitment to ensuring safe, private, and positive online experiences for teens across Africa.

As more Nigerian teens join Instagram, it is crucial to prioritise their safety and privacy. Parents want to feel confident that their teens can use social media to connect with their friends and explore their interests, without having to worry about unsafe or inappropriate experiences.

Teen Accounts were designed to better support parents and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place.

Teen Accounts have built-in protections that limit who can contact them and the content they see, and we’ll automatically place teens in Nigeria into Teen Accounts, and teens under 16 will need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings to be less strict.

Key protections offered with Teen Accounts include:

• Private Accounts: Teen accounts are set to private by default and teens under 16 can only change this setting with parental guidance.
• Messaging Restrictions: Teens can only receive messages from people they are already connected to.
• Sensitive Content Control: Teen Accounts are automatically set to see less sensitive content in search results and recommended content in Explore, Feed and Reels.
• Limited Interactions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, and the strictest anti-bullying feature, Hidden Words, is enabled by default.
• Time Limit Reminders: Notifications prompt teens to exit the app after 60 minutes of daily usage.
• Sleep Mode: Enabled from 10 PM to 7 AM, this feature mutes notifications and sends automatic replies to DMs overnight.

“We’re excited to bring these features to Nigeria and help families navigate online spaces safely. Teen Accounts are designed to give parents peace of mind, allowing teens to connect with friends and explore interests without worrying about unsafe experiences,” said Sylvia Musalagani, Safety Policy Manager, Africa, Middle East & Turkey (AMET) at Meta.

Since Meta started reimagining its apps for teens with Teen Accounts globally in September 2024, Meta has enrolled 54 million teens into Teen Accounts on Instagram, with 97% of those aged 13–15 remaining within the strict default protective settings.

While Teen Accounts come with built‑in safety protections, Meta understands many parents want to take a more active role in their teens’ online experiences. With the enhanced supervision tools, parents can:

• See who their teen has interacted with: While message content remains private, parents can now view a list of people their teen has messaged over the past seven days.
• Set daily time limits on Instagram: Parents can decide how long their teen can spend on the app each day. Once the limit is reached, Instagram will be inaccessible for the rest of the day.
• Schedule downtime from Instagram: Parents can block access to Instagram during specific hours, like bedtime, with just a tap.
• View the topics their teen is exploring: Parents can see which age-appropriate interest areas their teen is choosing to follow and engage with.

“Meta’s new policy aligns with several core priorities outlined in NITDA’s strategic roadmap, particularly concerning data privacy and protection for minors, now under the purview of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, and child online protection and digital well-being, which we have collaboratively addressed with our sister agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission. NITDA has been a strong advocate for child online protection through various initiatives, including national strategies and proposed legislation, such as the Online Harms Protection Bill, which addresses age verification and parental controls. This policy reinforces the need for age-appropriate online experiences and promotes digital well-being.” commented, Mr. Emmanuel Edet – director Regulations and Compliance Department, NITDA.

To mark the launch, Meta hosted an exclusive event where parents, content creators, policy stakeholders, media and teens could engage on the available safety features and tools.

Meta remains committed to developing tools, resources and partnerships that protect teens and foster safer online experiences for families in Nigeria.

The platform, which has over a billion users worldwide, recently had issues with regulators, including lawsuits from Brazil and the U.S. state attorneys general, alleging negative effects on minors’ well-being and data privacy violations.

The planned restrictions specifically target filters that alter physical appearance, rather than those designed for playful effects like animal ears. TikTok’s research, supported by external studies, reveals that appearance-altering filters can contribute to unrealistic beauty standards and affect teenagers’ self-esteem. 

These changes pertaining to the TikTok beauty filters are expected to roll out globally in the coming weeks, including age-restricted access to appearance effects and additional information to help users understand how such filters modify their appearance.

TikTok is also working to improve guidance for creators of filters to minimise potential harm.

TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, currently requires users to be at least 13 years old. But enforcing this age limit through neutral age checks and technology to detect underage accounts has not been enough, regulators still question the effectiveness of these measures. 

Each month, the platform removes millions of accounts that fail to meet its age requirements. In collaboration with child safety organisations and other stakeholders, TikTok is exploring enhanced machine learning tools to better identify and moderate underage users.

The platform also continues to expand its initiatives to ensure user safety, including partnerships with NGOs across Europe to provide in-app resources for mental health support. 

For instance, users reporting distressing content are now connected to local helplines offering psychological counselling and support. This approach builds on successful pilots in countries like France and aims to offer immediate assistance while harmful content is reviewed and removed.

TikTok has also made strides in strengthening its data security framework in Europe through “Project Clover,” a €12 billion initiative aimed at safeguarding user data. Key successes include the operational launch of a data centre in Norway and the migration of European user data to this facility. 

Added to this, independent cybersecurity experts now oversee security gateways to monitor access to sensitive information.

TikTok will now address these issues surrounding user safety, data security, and the well-being of its youngest users. With its continued growth, attracting over 175 million monthly users across Europe, the platform is creating a safer, more transparent digital space for all.

With the initiative, Meta strengthens its ongoing focus on providing age-appropriate experiences for teens and supporting parents in safeguarding online presence for young ones.

Teens under the age of 16 or under 18 in certain countries, will have direct messages (DMs) turned off by default from individuals they don’t follow or aren’t connected to. 

Teens using supervised accounts will need parental permission to modify this setting, ensuring parents are actively involved in their teens’ online safety. The move reflects Meta’s recognition of the importance of parental supervision in guiding teens’ online behaviour. Parents using supervision features will now be prompted to approve or deny their teens’ requests to change default safety and privacy settings to a less strict state. This includes modifications such as transitioning from private to public accounts or altering DM settings to hear from individuals not already followed or connected to.

The new feature aims to facilitate meaningful offline conversations between parents and teens, allowing families to navigate online experiences together while respecting teens’ privacy and communication preferences. Larry Magid, CEO of ConnectSafely, emphasized the significance of empowering parents with tools to protect their teens while respecting their privacy and communication preferences.

“Empowering parents to approve or deny requests to change their teen’s default safety and privacy settings gives parents the tools they need to help protect their teens, while at the same time respecting their teens’ privacy and ability to communicate with their friends and family.”

Meta’s ongoing efforts to support teens and families include over 30 tools and features designed to promote online safety and well-being. The Family Center offers resources and expert insights to assist parents in navigating their teens’ digital experiences.

As Meta continues to prioritize safety and well-being on its platforms, these new measures are a proactive approach to address the complex challenges faced by teens in the digital age.