You can keep an eye on your child's Instagram, but not everything—know Meta's rules..
If your child uses Instagram and you wish to monitor their activity, Meta has established specific guidelines for this. According to the company, parents cannot directly access the Instagram accounts of their teenage children (those under 18). Instagram’s official FAQ states that, due to privacy laws, the company cannot grant unauthorized access to an account to anyone other than the account owner. Users aged 13 and older are considered the authorized holders of their Instagram accounts; therefore, parents cannot simply log in to view full account details.
Can parents access their child's Instagram account?
Instagram states that parents cannot directly access their teenager's account. However, in certain countries and regions, local laws allow parents to utilize additional supervision features.
These features enable parents to better understand and manage their child's Instagram usage. In some locations, laws may also grant parents additional capabilities, such as downloading or modifying their child's account information.
Instagram's supervision tool helps parents and guardians ensure that teenagers under 18 use the platform safely. It allows parents to view specific settings on their teenager's account. Furthermore, if a teenager attempts to change a setting that could compromise account security, parents may—in certain instances—approve or reject that change.
Where is the 'Extra Supervision' feature available?
According to Meta, Instagram's 'Extra Supervision' features are available in specific countries and regions. These include Florida, Connecticut, Texas, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, the European Union, Vietnam, and Brazil.
If your teenager resides in one of these regions and meets the age requirements stipulated by local laws, parents can set up these extra supervision features. Meta offers various app options for this, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and Meta Horizon. However, parents may need to verify their identity before setting up the supervision feature.
**ID may be required for identity verification**
In some cases, Meta may ask parents to verify their identity to ensure that the person setting up the supervision feature is indeed the parent. A valid government-issued ID or two non-government identification documents may be requested for this purpose.
According to Meta, the identity verification process can take up to 48 hours. The company states that the parent's ID is stored securely and deleted within 30 days of the verification process being completed. This ID is not used for any other purpose, such as displaying advertisements.
**Teen's consent is also required**
Once the parent's identity is verified, Meta allows them to invite their teen to set up the supervision feature. The teen must then confirm that the person sending the request is indeed their parent or guardian.
If the teen does not accept the request or fails to respond within seven days, the parent can send another invitation. If the teen consistently fails to respond or confirm the parental relationship, Meta may request additional information in certain circumstances—for instance, asking the parent for a document such as the child's birth certificate.
This means parents do not get direct access to their child's Instagram account. Instead, Meta provides supervision features that allow parents to monitor their teen's Instagram settings and safety-related activities without directly accessing the entire account.
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