Instagram business and creator accounts can now set age gates for their content directly via the application.
This capability could prove especially valuable to brands and creators promoting products that are only appropriate for adults.
An Instagram spokesperson said the timing of the rollout was unrelated to the Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network’s news earlier this week that it would update its branded content policies to add clarity to rules about promoting restricted goods and services—such as alcohol, tobacco, weapons and health supplements—bringing them in line with its overall ad policies.
Businesses on Instagram previously had this ability via internal tools, but this marks the first time the functionality is available in-app to all business and creator accounts.
A default age can be established globally for viewing content from the account, and that age can be tweaked by country in order to allow brands and creators to comply with local laws and regulations that may differ.
People who do not meet the age limit will not see content from those accounts in feed, Explore, Stories or other direct experiences.
If they search for accounts that they are not eligible to see, they will be shown a “restricted account” screen.
