“Anything that’s too realistic or has eyes that are too realistic, we’re out. We’re not doing it.”
Instagram is giving parents more control over the content their teenagers are exposed to daily.
In a news release published on Oct. 14, Meta — the company that owns Instagram — announced several ways it’s making Instagram’s Teen Accounts safer for teenagers and less worrisome for parents.
At the heart of these changes is the adaptation of principles that align with PG-13 movie ratings.
By the end of the year, Instagram Teen Accounts owned by people under the age of 18 will automatically be placed into an updated "13+" content setting based on PG-13 rating standards.
Teens can only opt out of this setting with parental permission, per Meta’s announcement.
Beyond existing policies that hide sexual content, graphic images and adult products, the updated policies will now also hide or avoid recommending strong language, risky stunts and harmful behaviors.
Instagram hopes to make teens' default experience similar to watching a PG-13 movie — meaning they may occasionally encounter some suggestive content or strong language, but such instances will be rare.
So far, parents are excited about the changes coming to Instagram for teens.
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In one survey conducted by Ipsos (on behalf of Meta), 90% of parents of teens agree that the changes will make it either “much easier” or “somewhat easier” to understand what content their teenagers see.
"Parents don't have to do anything," Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said in an interview with “Today.”
"So the way it works is by default, every teen that has a teen account will be in the 13-plus rating, which means that the content they see on Instagram will largely align with a PG-13 movie,” he said.
Parents have more control over what their teens see on Instagram
In addition to the adaptation of the PG-13 model, which is automatic, Instagram is giving parents more control over what their teens are exposed to on the platform.
This is evident in its commitment to its “Limited Content” and “More Content” settings for a teen Instagram account.
If parents think the PG-13 model is too restrictive for their teenager, they can give them access to the “More Content” filter, which is generally aligned with movie ratings for ages 18+.
But if parents think the PG-13 model isn’t restrictive enough, they can opt for the “Limited Content” setting.
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The “Limited Content” setting is Instagram’s most restrictive setting yet and won’t allow teens to interact (message, comment, share, view) with accounts that regularly share inappropriate content.
According to Ispos, 96% of parents “say they appreciate having the option to choose the more restrictive ‘Limited Content’ setting for their teen.”
Here are some of the other changes happening to Instagram Teen Accounts:
- Teens can't follow accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content
- If already following these accounts, teens can't see their content, interact with posts, send DMs or see their comments
- Inappropriate accounts won't appear in teen recommendations or search results
- Inappropriate accounts can't follow teens, DM them or comment on their posts
- Expanded blocking of mature search terms (like 'alcohol' or 'gore') beyond existing blocks for suicide, self-harm and eating disorders
- Misspelled versions of blocked terms will also be caught
- AI responses will follow PG-13 standards
- AI won't provide age-inappropriate responses that would be out of place in a PG-13 movie
“I know parents are busy, which is why it's so important that the defaults are safe,” Mosseri told “Today.”
“So all teens get teen accounts by default, which also means that they can only interact with largely PG-13-type content by default,” he added.
He continued: "If a parent has the time, and we're trying to raise awareness around these tools, they can set up parental supervision, and they can shape the experience into what's best for their specific teen.”
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According to Meta’s release, these changes will start to take place immediately and “will be fully rolled out by the end of the year.”
