The information on this page is adapted with permission from Prevention by Designby lead authors Lena Slachmuijlder and Sofia Bonilla.
When a new user joins a platform, the onboarding process should include an introduction to relevant safety features. By being transparent about the tools available and how they can enhance the user's experience, platforms can build long-term trust, increasing the likelihood that users will remain engaged and continue using the service with confidence.
Effective onboarding is essential for promoting user safety and long-term engagement on digital platforms. Research supports a structured, multi-step onboarding that sets norms and guides users through critical features—especially those related to privacy, content moderation, and reporting tools.
Examples
Pinterest’s Tailored Goal-Oriented Onboarding: helps align user experiences with platform norms, fostering a sense of value and safety.
Instagram’s Privacy Prompts for Minors: Defaults new users under 16 or 18 (depending on the country) to private profiles and provides guidance on privacy settings. For existing young users with public profiles, Instagram will “show them a notification highlighting the benefits of a private account and explaining how to change their privacy settings.”
TikTok’s teen privacy and safety settings: default settings for users aged 13-15 so that only people who the user approves can follow them and view their content and any direct messaging is not available.