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Teen safety on Pinterest

We're committed to keeping Pinterest the positive corner of the internet and we want to provide the tools and resources you need to protect your privacy. This page will guide you through teen safety settings, what they mean for you and how to manage your options as a teen on Pinterest. We’ll also share what you can do if you experience an unsafe situation or feel unsafe at any time, and ways your parents or other caregivers can help you manage your experience on the platform.

Teen accounts under 16 are private. We ask for age-related information like your birthday, in part, to make sure teens and adults are in the best experience for their age group. Get help if you added the wrong birthdate to your account and were deactivated.

 

Learn more about our new policies and how they can help you create a safe, personal space on Pinterest. 

 

Your settings and options as a teen

Keep yourself—and your information—safe on Pinterest. Here are the settings you can change on your personal or business account, and some of the ones you can't.

If you don't meet Pinterest's age minimum for your location, you can't open a Pinterest account or use these features.

Manage your profile

Adding a last name to your profile is optional. You can use a nickname or leave off your last name to help keep your identity private.

If you’re under 16, your profile will be private. This means your profile won’t be discoverable, but you can invite people you trust to follow you. You're in control of who you're in contact with.

Connecting with others on Pinterest

You can save Pins or leave comments on Pins that you find inspiring to connect with others, and the comments you leave can be viewed by other people. If you’re under 18, comments will be automatically turned off on Pins you create until you turn 18. You can adjust this in your comment settings at any time.

If you’re under 16, the boards and Pins you create will only be visible to you by default. You can collaborate on a group board with the people you know as long as you're old enough to have a Pinterest account. 

If you're under 16, you can exchange messages with mutual followers and you may receive message requests from group board collaborators. As you get older, your settings will adjust to allow you to contact more people. While our default settings are designed to allow safe connections with people you know, you can always change your settings to make them more strict.

We hope you have a positive experience connecting with others on Pinterest. Let us know if you have ideas to make it better.

Privacy and data

We use information about your activity on and off Pinterest to help personalize your experience on the platform. Review your privacy and data settings to adjust how we use some of the information about you. If you're under 18 in the EU or UK, note that you’re automatically opted out of all ads personalization settings. You'll be opted in when you turn 18, but you can adjust this in your settings at any time.

Two-factor authentication

Turn on two-factor authentication to protect your account from people who try logging in without your approval.

Create a plan with your caregivers

We've gathered a few pages you can share with your parents and caregivers to help them understand what Pinterest is, who can use it and how we prioritize privacy for teens on Pinterest.

  • Work with your parent or caregiver to set up a passcode to lock certain settings related to account management, privacy and data, and social permissions. 
  • Share our resources for parents and caregivers of teens on Pinterest.
  • Learn more about our age requirements in different regions.
  • Share this article about what Pinterest is. Start a conversation with your caregiver about how you’re using Pinterest.
  • If you see something unsafe, here's what to do

    If you feel unsafe or think something goes against our Community Guidelines, let us know so we can help you. Here’s how you can take action quickly:

    Send an anonymous report

    You can send a report if you see a Pin, comment, message, board or account that doesn’t seem right. We'll remove or limit the distribution of content that contributes to an unsafe environment, and people won’t know if you’ve reported them.

    Block someone

    You can block people or business accounts if you want to stop them from following you, messaging you, or interacting with your Pins.

    Access, edit, or delete your personal information

    You may access or edit your personal data, or you can choose to delete your personal data.

    Resources and support

    It’s not always easy being a teen. Here are some trusted resources that can help you navigate change and anxiety, or help you feel safer online. If you or someone you know is in danger, please contact your local law enforcement immediately.

  • Our Tips for Teens board, created in partnership with #HalfTheStory, has resources about mental health, creativity and digital safety.
  • If you or someone you know is struggling with a domestic violence experience or thoughts of self-harm, please take a look at these organizations offering free, confidential and immediate support.
  • Learn more about how we're combating online child exploitation and what to do if you see sexualization or sexual exploitation of minors, like grooming, sexual remarks, sharing of private images without consent or other inappropriate imagery.
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