Will Instagram's teen restrictions see a diminishing of reach and hence ad dollars?

Teenagers under 16 in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the broader APAC region will now be placed into "teen accounts" on Instagram, the most restrictive setting of Meta’s sensitive content control, with built-in limits on who can contact them and the content they see. Under the setting, they are allowed to receive messages only from people they follow or are already connected with.

According to a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Meta said that the expansion of this new experience is designed to better address parents’ biggest concerns, including who their teens are talking to online, the content they’re seeing and whether their time is being well spent. The built-in protections aim to support parents and give them peace of mind, ensuring that their teens are safe with the right protections in place. 

Don't miss: Instagram expands teen accounts to HK, TW and APAC

The move has garnered mixed reactions across social platforms over the past week. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, there have been over 820 mentions regarding the move, with 10.1% positive and 7.1% negative sentiments across APAC. Keywords associated with the incident include Associated keywords include “teen”, “Instagram”, “accounts”, “features”, “media”, “sensitive”, and “safer”. 

Furthermore, the move has triggered discussions with some commenting that brands are out of touch with younger audiences' needs, according to CARMA. However, on the marketing front, industry players MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to believe that brands are unlikely to cut ties with Instagram. 

Will brands steer clear of Instagram, or is it too big to ignore?  

Instagram remains a significant platform with a vast and diverse user base, making it unlikely that brands will abandon it entirely, according to Florence Kong, founder and managing director, We Glow Hong Kong.  

In fact, Instagram has enjoyed steady growth since it emerged in 2010, according to Meltwater. With more than one billion users and more than 3.8 billion total downloads, it continues to be a useful and powerful channel for influencers and marketers. Its advertising reaching between January 2023 and January 2024 increased from 1.4 million to 1.6 million. 

“Although the new restrictions for teen accounts may lead brands to fine-tune their strategies—especially when targeting younger audiences—the platform’s extensive reach and robust advertising tools continue to offer substantial value,” she added. 

Although these changes may seem restrictive on paper, brands have always had limitations when it comes to targeting minors with advertisements within the Meta ecosystem, said Sunny Johar, managing director, Southeast Asia and group head of digital strategy, KRDS. "Most likely, there will be no major change to brands and their presence on Meta as a result of further tightening on the personal use of social media for under 18s. Typically, brands reach younger consumers through other platforms such as TikTok or Snapchat, or via influencers."

On the other hand, Kristian Olsen, managing director, Type A Digital, said brands aren’t leaving Instagram; instead, Instagram is leaving them - or at least making it a pain to reach the audiences they actually want.  

“This is just another chapter in the slow, painful suffocation of organic reach. Now, with teen protections tightening, anyone targeting under-18s will have to jump through even more hoops. Instead of walking away, brands will just get smarter-shifting efforts into DMs, Discord, closed communities, and creator-driven content that skirts the algorithm,” he added. 

Will advertisers shift their ad dollars elsewhere? 

Even though some advertisers might worry about a diminished reach among younger users, Instagram’s strong engagement metrics, innovative ad formats, and broad audience appeal suggest that a major reallocation of ad spend is unlikely, according to We Glow’s Kong. 

“While brands that predominantly target teens may consider adjusting their budgets, Instagram’s overall influence ensures it will remain a key priority for advertisers,” she added. 

While some advertisers might explore alternative platforms that cater to older demographics or offer less restrictive environments, the overall shift of ad dollars will depend on the effectiveness of Instagram as a marketing tool, said Vin Ng, former director at Spread-it. "Brands may diversify their ad spend across multiple platforms, including emerging ones, such as Xiaohongshu, but Instagram's extensive reach and engagement will continue to attract significant advertising investment."

Meanwhile, Olsen said the real ad dollars are creeping towards TikTok and influencer-led content where the audience actually engages. “Brands will still pump cash into Instagram, but more out of habit than excitement. The smarter ones are hedging their bets elsewhere.” 

Rather than producing teen-focused content themselves, advertisers may shift their focus to collaborating with KOLs whose audiences align with the teen demographic, said Ken Cheung, co-founder and digital director at KREW. "KOLs are often more effective at engaging younger audiences, allowing brands to leverage their reach and authenticity without directly navigating the complexities of teen-targeted content creation."

Will we see other social platforms restricting content and time access for teens? 

Given the increasing regulatory pressures and government initiatives aimed at protecting minors, it’s likely that other social media platforms will implement similar measures, said Kong. “This shift toward tighter controls could quickly become an industry standard as companies work to comply with emerging legal requirements and enhance user safety.” 

Platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat may feel pressure to enhance their safety measures to protect younger users and comply with potential regulations, especially in regions where governments are advocating for stricter social media controls, added Ng. 

Back in 2023, TikTok proposed changes to help teens in the US manage their time on TikTok. Although the setting can be toggled off, teens will be automatically prompted to enter a passcode when they hit the 60-minute limit. Teenage TikTokers will also receive a weekly recap of their screen time in their inbox on the app.

Similarly, Snapchat also announced new safety measures on its app in 2023 to safeguard US teenagers from unwanted contact and harmful online interactions. These measures are designed to create a safer and more suitable user experience for teens aged 13 to 17 as social media usage continues to grow among young users. 

With Meta’s latest move on Instagram, other platforms will only follow suit if they’re dragged kicking and screaming, said Olsen. “These platforms make their money by keeping kids glued to their screens, and any ‘protections’ they roll out will be just enough to look responsible without actually tanking engagement.” 

“TikTok and YouTube already have ‘limits’ that are easy to bypass. The reality? They’ll tweak some settings, throw out a few press releases, and business will continue as usual - unless regulators step in hard,” he added. 

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