- Pinterest announced it can be enacting recent safeguards meant to protect the privacy of minors using its platform, according to an organization release.
- Among additions is an expanded age verification process and parental controls for those under the age of 18. Down the road, the corporate also plans to reintroduce messaging capabilities for teen users with an added consent requirement.
- The move follows a recent investigation by NBC News revealing how predators had been easily accessing and storing photos of young children on the app and arrives as other social media giants, like Meta and TikTok, more heavily prioritize safety.
Pinterest is the latest social media platform to announce recent safety features geared toward protecting the wellbeing and privacy of its younger users, a subject that has more heavily come into focus today despite broader struggles to gain unified support.
The efforts by the platform follow an investigation by NBC News last month that unveiled how predators online have been compiling photos of youngsters, including toddlers, into saved collections — known on the app as “boards” — with content often involving children bending over, dancing or sticking their tongue out. The investigation also found that similar images and videos were fed to users through the app’s algorithm after interest in such content was displayed.
The investigation, which quickly gained national attention, prompted Pinterest to add recent features expanding the capabilities for users to report content and accounts, and its latest safety additions seem to be constructing on its corrective efforts. Among changes, a more robust age verification process will bar users who previously entered their age as under 18 from editing their birth date, requiring them to send additional information to a third-party partner.
Additionally, Pinterest will soon give parents and guardians of users under age 18 the power to require a passcode to change some account settings. The app can also be bringing back its once-locked messaging capabilities for teen users, but is attempting to curb unwanted messages by requiring users to give permission. The platform recently reached 450 million global monthly energetic users, with Gen Z being its fastest growing user segment.
Other major social media players have recently rolled out recent features focused on younger users, similarly doing so after coming under fire. Meta in January released a slew of updates that prioritize age-appropriate promoting experiences for teen users, a move that followed major scrutiny of its ad practices, which were deemed illegal under E.U. law earlier that month. ByteDance’s TikTok, which continues to face threats of a nationwide ban, announced in March a one-hour screen-time limit for users under the age of 18, together with several recent parental control features.
Aside from its newly announced barriers, Pinterest also mentioned ongoing efforts designed to protect the mental wellbeing of its users, including policies against body shaming, like not allowing weight reduction ads, and restricting beauty filters from altering the user’s face. The risk of probably demoralizing content has been a significant criticism of social media, recently attracting major players like Unilever’s Dove to join the conversation.
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