CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Instagram is making some big changes aimed at protecting young users on its platform.

This comes after Instagram's parent company, Meta, first came under fire about the risks its social media platforms pose for young users.

The social media platform has announced new 'teen account' settings that will take effect starting next week.

They say accounts for users under the age of 16 will automatically be set to private and placed in strict messaging settings.

Only people they are already connected to will be able to send them messages, tag them in photos, or mention them in comments.

The new settings will also restrict the kinds of content they can view on the app.

"We are likely to see teens maybe use the platform a little bit less or change the way they use the platform. But in our estimation, it is in our interest, including our business interest, to be aligned with parents so that teens have a safe and positive experience on our platform," said Antigone Davis, Meta vice president and global head of safety.

Meta says it's also adding new optional parental supervision features that let parents see who their teen has messaged, view the topics they are looking at, and set daily time limits.

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can also change the newly automated restrictive settings without parental permission. Meta says they made this decision after talking to parents of teens of all ages.