The pilot program was launched in partnership with the Center for Open Science (COS). As part of the program, researchers will have access to six months of Instagram data.
This can include information about how many accounts a teenager follows, how often they use Instagram, their account settings, etc.
However, Meta noted that it will not provide access to users' demographic information, as well as the content of their posts, comments, or messages.
The COS noted that studying data directly from Instagram can help "contribute to the understanding of well-being when combined with other data sources," such as surveys and other types of research.
The impact of Instagram on teenagers' mental health has long been in the spotlight. With this in mind, Instagram has introduced features designed to protect children on the app.
For example, in early 2024, it became known that Meta was restricting the ability to send messages to teenagers on Instagram and Facebook.