Instagram still posing serious risks to children, campaigners say

Instagram is a widely used social media platform, especially among children and teenagers. However, there are growing concerns about the potential dangers it poses to young users. A recent study conducted by the 5Rights Foundation, an organization focused on online child safety, has revealed that even with the introduction of new Teen Accounts, young users may still be exposed to serious risks. The researchers created fake accounts using false birthdates and discovered that they were immediately shown inappropriate content, hateful comments, and were even recommended to follow adult accounts. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has responded to these findings by stating that the report is filled with inaccuracies and reflects a misunderstanding of how Teen Accounts function. They argue that many parents find these new protections beneficial. This research comes at a crucial time as Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, is set to release new safety codes aimed at protecting children online. These codes will outline the responsibilities of social media platforms under the Online Safety Act, which includes implementing robust age verification processes, ensuring safer algorithms that do not promote harmful content, and establishing effective content moderation systems. Instagram introduced Teen Accounts in September 2024 to provide enhanced protections for young users and to give parents peace of mind. The intention behind these accounts was to limit who could contact young users and to reduce the amount of potentially harmful content they could encounter. However, the 5Rights Foundation researchers found that they could easily create fake Teen Accounts without any additional verification checks. Upon signing up, they were immediately offered adult accounts to follow and message. The researchers claimed that Instagram's algorithms continue to promote sexualized imagery, harmful beauty standards, and other negative stereotypes. They also noted that their Teen Accounts were recommended posts that contained significant amounts of hateful comments. The charity expressed concerns about the addictive nature of the app and the exposure of young users to commercialized content. Baroness Beeban Kidron, the founder of the 5Rights Foundation, stated, 'This is not a teen environment. ' She emphasized that the platform is not adequately checking ages, recommending adult accounts, and placing young users in commercial situations without their knowledge, which she described as deeply sexualized. In response, Meta reiterated that the report is inaccurate and that they would have clarified any misunderstandings if the 5Rights Foundation had shared their findings with them. A spokesperson for Meta mentioned, 'We developed Teen Accounts following feedback from parents, and a recent survey showed that 94% of parents find these new protections helpful. ' They acknowledged that fundamentally changing Instagram for millions of teens worldwide is a significant task and that they are committed to working diligently to ensure the platform is safe for young users. In a related development, BBC News has uncovered the existence of groups on another platform called X that are dedicated to self-harm. These groups, referred to as 'communities,' have tens of thousands of members sharing graphic images and videos related to self-harm, with some participants appearing to be children. Becca Spinks, an American researcher who discovered these groups, expressed her shock at finding 65,000 members in one community. She remarked, 'It was so graphic, there were people in there taking polls on where they should cut next. ' X was approached for comment but did not respond. However, in a submission to an Ofcom consultation last year, X stated, 'We have clear rules in place to protect the safety of the service and the people using it. ' They also added, 'In the UK, X is committed to complying with the Online Safety Act.