Instagram Rolls Out PG-13 Guidelines to Safeguard Teens Online

Instagram is adopting a version of the PG-13 movie rating system to give parents stronger control over how teenagers use the social media platform.

Under this new policy, all accounts belonging to users under 18 will automatically be placed in a 13+ setting and cannot opt out without parental permission. Similar rules will also implement in Meta’s generative AI tools.

In the PG-13 version, teen accounts will hide posts featuring strong language, disturbing or graphic content, and drug-related material, including posts that could promote harmful behaviour.

“Teens will no longer be able to follow accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content, or if their name or bio suggests they are unsuitable for teens. If they already follow such accounts, they won’t be able to see or interact with their content, send DMs, or view their comments,” Meta stated on its blog.

Parents can also activate a stricter “Limited Content” mode that blocks even more mature material and disables features like commenting and messaging. “It will also remove teens’ ability to see, leave, or receive comments under posts,” Meta added.

The update follows research by a former Meta whistleblower claiming that about two-thirds (64%) of Instagram’s previous safety tools were ineffective.

The new PG-13–based teen settings have started rolling out in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada, with a global rollout planned for next year. Other AI companies, including OpenAI and Character AI, have also introduced similar parental control features for teen accounts.