Pinterest introduces new privacy upgrades for enhanced safeguards for younger users. These features encompass private profiles, limitations on mutual messaging, and enhanced controls governing follower access within the app.
Initially, Pinterest users aged 16 and above can opt for private or public profiles within the new framework.
As elucidated by Pinterest:
“Once private, you’ll still be able to connect with your friends and family by sending a unique profile link. Private profiles are not discoverable by others on the platform and will remain the default and only option for teens under the age of 16.”
Earlier this year, Pinterest announced the default privacy settings for users aged 16 and under.
We will set profiles to private by default, barring the ‘public’ switch. A minor exception: users aged 16 and above. This alteration provides older teenagers with more flexibility in managing their in-app interactions.
Notably, this policy doesn’t affect sub-16 teens, who must maintain private accounts.
Furthermore, Pinterest is implementing additional controls for teenagers followers. For users under 16 years old, we will remove all existing followers from their profiles. We’ll prompt young users to review their followers, clarifying who can access their content.
This approach necessitates a certain level of effort from teenagers who have already established a following on the platform. However, it guarantees that teens have a heightened awareness of the individuals who can engage with their peers.
Pinterest is also introducing fresh guidelines for messaging and invitations to group boards for teen users:
“Teens under the age of 16 will only be able to send and receive messages from mutual followers who have been accepted through a unique profile link that expires after 3 days or when they get 5 new followers with the shareable link, whichever comes first.”
This streamlines connections, restricting interactions to specified users, deterring strangers from engaging with young individuals.
Pinterest is taking steps to enhance its safety protocols for underage users following a report released earlier this year.
The report highlighted instances where predators exploited the app to gather images of underage girls via their Pinterest profiles.
As per NBC, certain users bypassed Pinterest’s safety features, accessing profiles of young users, viewing/saving content, and making contact within the app.
Ensuring young individuals’ security remains a top priority for all social platforms, making such initiatives paramount.
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