Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts on the app to protect children

Instagram is making teen accounts mandatory for those under 18 as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives.

Beginning Tuesday in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, anyone under under 18 who signs up for Instagram will be placed into teen accounts — which will be private by default — and those with existing accounts will be migrated over the next 60 days. Teens in the European Union will see their accounts adjusted later this year.