Meta is launching two versions of Teen Accounts — the tentpole youth safety product for Instagram and Facebook users — that fashions the default Instagram experience into a PG-13 rated movie.
Inspired by the standards established by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the new settings are Meta's first major overhaul of Teen Accounts since the feature was launched in 2024. The default safety settings now include age-appropriate content filters similar to the standards of the MPAA, which currently slaps a PG-13 rating on content that may not be suitable for children under 13. Such content may include brief nudity, mild drug use, minor instances of violence, or a single expletive, and "parents are urged to be cautious," the MPAA warning reads.
Meta's PG-13 controls will also apply to its generative AI experiences. While the company says these standards already expand existing content controls, parents can also opt into even stricter content, communication, and screen limits. The settings will be rolling out gradually over the next few months.
"Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram — but we’re going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible," the company wrote 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."
Meta has faced ongoing criticism for its handling of youth safety online, including failing to prevent exposure to explicit, harmful, and sexual content on the platform and among its AI chatbots. In September, a coalition of child advocacy organizations, digital privacy experts, and Meta whistleblowers published a report that found the majority of the company's safety tools failed amid stress testing. Shortly after, tech advocacy nonprofit the HEAT Initiative published a survey of teen Instagram users that found a majority of respondents still experienced harmful content or received unwanted messages.
"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," wrote Meta.
PG-13 settings for all teens
Minor accounts will be automatically placed into the new PG-13 settings, and only parents have the option to turn off the restrictions. In addition to existing content restrictions on extreme and graphic content, Teen Accounts will also be blocked from seeing posts with "strong language, certain risky stunts, and additional content that could encourage potentially harmful behaviors, such as posts showing marijuana paraphernalia," the company explains.
In addition, Teen Accounts will be restricted from seeing or interacting with other accounts that have been flagged as sharing age-inappropriate content. They won't be able to click on a link that features such posts, either. Instagram will also be blocking a wider range of search topics, like "alcohol," and revising its system to spot misspellings and algo-speak.
Stricter settings for concerned parents
And for caregivers who want to keep their teens in a more PG experience, Meta is introducing "Limited Content" mode, the strictest level of parental controls offered on Instagram. With this toggled on, Teen Accounts will have even stronger content filtering controls.
Limited Content also removes a teen’s ability to see, leave, or receive comments under posts, Meta explains, and similar restrictions for Meta AI conversations will be introduced in 2026.
Meta says the updated content settings will be deployed to accounts in the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada by the end of the year.
Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.
