KUALA LUMPUR – Instagram will begin limiting what users under 18 can view on the platform through a new filter system inspired by the PG-13 movie rating, as part of parent company Meta’s latest effort to strengthen online safety for teenagers.
In a statement today, Meta said the new rating-style filters will restrict posts that feature strong language, risky stunts, drug references, or other mature themes. The same restrictions will also apply to its generative AI tools.
Meta explained that the move is designed to mirror the Motion Picture Association’s ratings system, automatically placing teen accounts under PG-13 settings. Parents will have the option to apply stricter measures through a “limited content setting,” which includes enhanced screen-time and content controls.
“We hope this update reassures parents,” Meta said in the 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 company added that teenagers will also be prevented from interacting with accounts that share inappropriate or adult-oriented content.
Meta noted that the new system will first roll out in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, before expanding globally by the end of the year. Similar safeguards will also be introduced for Facebook users under 18.
The announcement follows mounting criticism and legal challenges alleging that Meta has failed to adequately protect young users or misled them about the psychological risks associated with its platforms. A report published in September found that many of Instagram’s existing safety features were either ineffective or missing altogether.
In August, Reuters also revealed that Meta’s AI-powered chatbots were permitted to engage in “romantic or sensual” conversations.
In response, Meta said it had already implemented new protections across its AI products to block flirty exchanges and discussions of self-harm or suicide involving minors.
The company highlighted that these changes build on a broader overhaul introduced last year to enhance privacy and parental control for teen users.
Meta’s latest move comes amid growing regulatory pressure, with hundreds of lawsuits filed in the United States against major social media platforms — including Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and YouTube — over the allegedly addictive nature of their services.
US regulators have also begun intensifying scrutiny on AI developers over potential harms linked to chatbot behaviour and youth safety. – October 15, 2025