Instagram is using new PG-13 ratings to restrict teens from seeing inappropriate content

Instagram is introducing significant changes to its teen accounts experience, aligning content exposure for users under 18 years old with the familiar PG-13 movie rating standard.

The Meta-owned platform said in a Tuesday blog post that it will use artificial intelligence to identify posts that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie, based on the film rating system developed by the Motion Picture Association to flag material suitable for specific age groups.

“We decided to more closely align our policies with an independent standard that parents are familiar with,” the company wrote. “Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram — but we’re going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible.”

Instagram already prevents certain graphic or sexually suggestive posts from being recommended to teens. Under the new policy, additional categories, including posts featuring strong language, risky stunts or marijuana paraphernalia, will also be hidden.

Instagram says teens will automatically be placed into these stricter default settings, and they won’t be able to opt out without parental permission. For parents seeking even tighter controls, a new “limited content” mode will be introduced, which will lower the experience to PG-13 levels for families who want more restrictive filtering.

The changes come as Instagram and other social media companies face mounting scrutiny for their handling of young users’ safety. Meta is currently battling multiple lawsuits at the state and federal levels alleging that its products contribute to mental health harms among teens.

Meta began rolling out specialized teen accounts on Instagram last fall to address some of these concerns. Those accounts come with default privacy and content restrictions, and the company uses AI tools to detect when users may be falsifying their age to bypass those limits. Earlier this year, Meta also barred users under 16 years old from livestreaming on its platforms.

While teen accounts are now the default for anyone under 18, older teens can request parental approval to adjust their settings. Most, however, leave the default protections in place, according to Meta.

As part of the new measures, teens will also be prevented from following accounts that “regularly share age-inappropriate content,” such as profiles promoting “18+” material or linking to subscription-based adult platforms such as OnlyFans. Those already following such accounts will lose access to their posts and interactions, Meta said.

Meta says the update is the most significant change to Instagram’s teen account protections since they were introduced last year.

The new settings will begin rolling out in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada immediately and are expected to reach full global coverage by the end of the year.

In announcing the changes, Instagram emphasized that while no system is perfect, the company is committed to refining the experience over time, using parent feedback and survey data to fine-tune what teens see.