Instagram to limit content for teens? Here’s what we know about Meta’s new move

Amid growing concern over social media content, Instagram on Tuesday (Oct 14) announced that it will limit what users under 18 can see on the platform. Meta, the platform’s parent company, will be using filters inspired by the PG-13 movie rating system in a move taken to address criticism over the protection of teenagers online. The move comes after growing backlash from advocacy groups and lawsuits, which cite the company’s failure to protect young users on its platform from harmful content that may lead to psychological harm.

Earlier in September, reports surfaced showing that several safety features implemented on Instagram by Meta did not work well or exist. Reuters reported in August that Meta allowed provocative chatbot behaviour, including enabling the bot to engage in “conversations that are romantic or sensual.”

What are Meta’s latest PG-13 safeguards?

The new system adopted by Meta, which is based on the Motion Picture Association’s ratings, will restrict posts featuring strong language, drug references, risky stunts and other mature themes for teenagers. The guidelines will also be implemented for the company’s generative AI tools.

Under the latest safeguards, teen accounts will be automatically placed under the PG-13 settings. It added that parents can adjust the settings to add stricter content filters and screen time controls with a “limited content setting”. Teen users will also not be able to interact with accounts sharing mature content.

“We hope this update reassures parents,” Meta said in a blog post. “We know teens may try to avoid these restrictions, which is why we’ll use age prediction technology to place teens into certain content protections — even if they claim to be adults.”

The new setting will be first released in the US, the UK, Australia and Canada, with full launch likely by the end of this year. Meta said that it will also introduce additional safeguards for teens on Facebook.