United Kingdom: Issued ICO statement in response to Meta's announcement on introducing teen accounts

On 17 September 2024, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued a statement in response to Meta's announcement that it was introducing teen accounts on its platform Instagram. The ICO emphasised that the Children's Code mandates high privacy settings for kids' accounts by default unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. The ICO welcomed Instagram's new protections for younger users and indicated they would continue to advocate for higher industry standards and take action where companies do not comply.