Meta has revealed that the new Instagram Teen Accounts are being guided by the PG-13 movie ratings, designed by the Motion Picture Association, limiting certain content from users.
Under the new guidance, Instagram will hide certain content containing tobacco, sexual content, or suggestive posts from those on a teen account. When it comes to material containing swear words, stunts or potentially inappropriate content (including marijuana use), certain posts will not be recommended to users. Many of the PG-13 guidelines are being reinforced by Instagram’s AI experiences.
“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 states in a recent blog post.
While acknowledging that content across films is different from social media, Instagram is using the PG-13 rating as a basis for what may be appropriate for teens to see on the platform. In 2024, Instagram began transitioning users under the age of 18 to teen accounts. According to a recent survey cited by Meta, 95% of US parents of teens said they think these updated settings will have a positive effect.
Teen accounts are set to private by default and have a series of safety precautions in effect. For instance, parents are able to manage and monitor restrictions. For those under 16, users will need to accept new followers. Those who don’t follow the account are unable to see the content or interact with the feed. Teen accounts are also given a 60-minute daily time limit.
Inspired by the PG-13 rating, Instagram’s new system blocks accounts that post 18+ content for teen accounts. Users with suggestive names, bios and links to adult-oriented websites will also be gated from teens. Instagram is also preventing teens from searching certain terms like “alcohol” or “gore.”
The updated guidelines and controls are rolling out gradually to teen accounts in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia, starting today. By the end of 2025, these updates will be rolled out globally to all teen accounts.
“Looking ahead, we plan to roll out these changes globally, apply more of the new protections to teens who claim to be adults, and on Facebook, add additional age-appropriate content protections for teens,” Instagram says.
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