In a move that will please some of Instagram’s critics, the company will now allow users to reset the recommendation system that powers what they see in their feeds.

For years now, Instagram has been in the sights of child health experts who believe apps such as Instagram are addictive and perhaps harmful in part because of what the algorithm recommends to them. Instagram, owned by its parent company Meta Platforms Inc., seems to have acknowledged this in its latest move which it says has mainly been designed for children.

“We want to make sure everyone on Instagram – especially teens – has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” the company said in a blog post today. “We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience, so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve.”

Users of any age can now “start fresh” every time they open the app. If they don’t like what they see, they can hit the algorithm refresh button to clear all the recommended content across Explore, Reels and Feed tabs. It will be as if the user has logged onto Instagram for the first time, after which the algorithm will start recommending content based on the accounts the user follows. If they so choose, they can reset the system over and over again.

Instagram has come under scrutiny in the European Union where regulators have in the past suspected recommendation algorithms are dangerous for children. Just recently, the EU opened an investigation into Instagram for the possible “negative effects” it might have on the “physical and mental health” of children. Under the Digital Services Act, breaches of safety could see Meta being fined up to 6% of annual global turnover.

Meta claims it has spent many years “developing more than 50 tools and policies” to protect children, but this latest move by Instagram will likely go a long way in placating the company’s many critics.

The U.K.’s online safety regulator Ofcom said it welcomed the change to the system. Ofcom will be the watchdog that in the future could be leveraging fines against Instagram under Britain’s Online Safety Act which hasn’t yet come into force. “It’s good to see Instagram bringing these changes in before regulation starts to bite, and we’ll be pressing for companies to do more to protect and empower their users,” Ofcom wrote on X today.

The changes are in the “testing” phase right now, but soon they should be rolled out globally.

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