Instagram is introducing a major update to its Teen Accounts, now guided by PG-13 movie ratings by default. This change means teens under 18 will automatically be placed into a 13+ content setting that limits exposure to content similar to what might appear in a PG-13 film. These protections cannot be bypassed without parental permission, reflecting Meta’s effort to align teen experiences with familiar real-world standards. The update builds on existing safeguards for millions of teens worldwide and incorporates feedback from thousands of parents globally. To ensure accuracy, Instagram uses age prediction technology to place users in these settings—even if they claim to be adults—helping prevent teens from circumventing safety measures. Under the new guidelines, Instagram will hide or stop recommending content that includes strong language, risky stunts, or material promoting harmful behaviors, such as images of marijuana paraphernalia. While some suggestive content or mild strong language may still appear—just as in a PG-13 movie—Instagram is committed to minimizing such instances. The changes also expand protections across multiple areas of the app. Teens will no longer be able to follow or interact with accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content, and these accounts will be blocked from following teens, sending DMs, or commenting on their posts. Search results for mature terms like “alcohol” or “gore” will be restricted, even if misspelled. In addition, inappropriate content won’t appear in recommendations, the Feed, Stories, or comments—even if shared by someone a teen follows. Links to restricted content sent via DMs will be blocked from opening. AI interactions for teens will also be filtered to align with PG-13 standards, ensuring responses remain age-appropriate. For parents seeking even stricter controls, Instagram is introducing a new “Limited Content” setting. This option removes comments entirely from the teen’s experience and will soon limit AI conversations as well. It gives families more flexibility based on their comfort levels—96% of surveyed US parents said they appreciated having this choice. Meta gathered extensive input from parents through surveys and content rating exercises, receiving over 3 million ratings. The results showed strong approval: fewer than 2% of recommended posts were considered inappropriate by most parents in a recent test. To keep improving, Meta will continue running regular parent surveys to assess content appropriateness and test a new feature allowing parents to flag posts they believe should be hidden from teens. These reports will be prioritized for review, and parents will receive updates on outcomes. Rollouts will begin today in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, with full global implementation expected by year-end. Future plans include expanding protections to teens who claim to be adults and introducing similar age-appropriate safeguards on Facebook.