Instagram said Tuesday it will start limiting content for teen users to what they would typically see in a PG-13 rated film, while also offering more robust parental controls for those who want “a more restrictive experience for their teen.”
“Today, we’re announcing that Instagram Teen Accounts will be guided by PG-13 movie ratings by default,” Instagram’s parent company, Meta, said in a news release. “This means that teens will see content on Instagram that’s similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.”
Movies with PG-13 ratings contain material that may be inappropriate for younger viewers, particularly children under 13, according to the Motion Picture Association, which urges parents to be “strongly cautioned.”
Current Instagram policies already hide sexually suggestive content, graphic or disturbing images, and adult material such as tobacco or alcohol sales from teens.
The new guidelines will expand that list to limit exposure to posts with “strong language, certain risky stunts, and additional content that could encourage potentially harmful behaviors, such as posts showing marijuana paraphernalia.”
Teens under 18 will be automatically placed in Instagram’s updated “13+ setting” and will not be able to opt out without a parent’s permission.
Additionally, parents who prefer extra controls will have the ability to choose stricter settings and also report content they deem inappropriate for their kids.
The “limited content” setting will filter even more material from teen accounts and remove the ability for teens to see, leave, or receive comments on posts.
The move is Instagram’s latest effort to give parents of users under 18 more control over how their teens interact on the platform and ensure their safety. It was guided by feedback from “thousands of parents worldwide.”
“We hope this update reassures parents that we’re working to show teens safe, age-appropriate content on Instagram by default, while also giving them more ways to shape their teen’s experience,” the social media giant said in the announcement.
The policy is the most significant update to the company’s “teen accounts” feature, which was introduced in September 2024 amid growing concerns over the effects of social media platforms on young people’s lives.
The changes are being implemented gradually, starting Tuesday, for users in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia, and are expected to be in place for all users in those regions by the end of the year.
“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,” the company said.
