Sept 17 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms ( META ) is rolling

out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram

accounts of users under 18 in a significant overhaul aimed at

addressing growing concerns around the negative effects of

social media.

Meta will port all designated Instagram accounts

automatically to "Teen Accounts", which will be private accounts

by default, the company said on Tuesday.

Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by

accounts they follow or are already connected to, while

sensitive content settings will be dialed to the most

restrictive available.

Users under 16 can change the default settings only with a

parent's permission. Parents will also get a suite of settings

to monitor who their children are engaging with and limit their

use of the app.

Several studies have linked social media use to higher

levels of depression, anxiety and learning disabilities,

particularly in young users.

Meta, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's GOOGL.O YouTube

already face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children

and school districts about the addictive nature of social media.

Last year, 33 U.S. states including California and New York sued

the company for misleading the public about the dangers of its

platforms.

Top platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok,

allow users who are 13 years of age and above to sign up.

Meta's move comes three years after it abandoned development

on a version of the Instagram app meant for teenagers, after

lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to drop it,

citing safety concerns.

In July, the U.S. Senate advanced two online safety bills -

The Kids Online Safety Act and The Children and Teens' Online

Privacy Protection Act - that would force social media companies

to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children

and teens.

As part of the update, the under-18 Instagram users will be

notified to close the app after 60 minutes each day. The

accounts will also come with a default sleep mode that will

silence notifications overnight.

Meta said it will place the identified users into teen

accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia,

and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the

world will start to get teen accounts in January.