Meta is rolling out what it describes as its biggest update yet to Instagram’s “Teen Accounts” with new protections guided by PG-13 movie ratings.
The company revealed on Tuesday that beginning this week, teens under 18 will automatically be placed into an updated “13+” content setting, which determines what they can see on the platform.
The new setting is designed to mirror the kind of content teens might encounter in a PG-13 movie, with tighter controls on language, themes and visuals, according to Meta, the parent company of Instagram.
“We’re doing this to really speak the language of parents who are much more familiar with movie ratings in terms of kind of a familiar model for those who are using Instagram,” Tara Hopkins, Meta’s global director of public policy, said.
The move came amid growing scrutiny from lawmakers, parents and advocacy groups who have accused major tech companies of not doing enough to protect teens from harmful or addictive content online.
Under the new PG-13 guidelines, teens won’t be able to opt out of the “13+” setting without parental permission.
The update also expands how Instagram uses its age prediction technology to help detect when users under 18 try to bypass these restrictions.
According to Meta, the PG-13 alignment means content that might include suggestive material, strong language or risky behavior will be further limited in teens’ Instagram feeds, Reels and Explore pages.
Posts showing marijuana use or paraphernalia, alcohol-related content and extreme stunts will no longer be visible to most teen accounts.
The new Teen Account settings begin rolling out today in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada, with full implementation expected by the end of the year. Global rollout will follow in 2026.