Regulation Update: Instagram Content Restrictions for Teens

Meta has announced that, effective immediately, Instagram will limit teens to viewing content equivalent to PG-13-rated material by default. Teens will require parental permission to alter these settings.

Content Restrictions

Under the new guidelines, teen-specific accounts will be restricted from accessing content involving sex, drugs, or dangerous stunts, aligning with PG-13 movie standards. This measure is part of Meta’s expanded efforts to safeguard young users.

Content that features strong language, risky stunts, and depictions encouraging potentially harmful behavior, such as posts featuring marijuana paraphernalia, will be hidden or not recommended to teen users. Meta describes this update as the most significant since the introduction of teen accounts.

Enhanced Parental Controls

Meta is introducing an additional restrictive setting that allows parents to configure even tighter content controls for their children. This is in response to ongoing concerns about the platform’s impact on young users. The company has reiterated its commitment to preventing exposure to inappropriate content, including self-harm, eating disorders, and suicidal themes.

Policy Enforcement and Content Blocking

The new restrictions will prevent teens from following accounts that share age-inappropriate content or contain unsuitable material in their name or bio. Existing teen followers of such accounts will lose access to their content, messages, and comments. These accounts will also be restricted from interacting with teen users.

Meta has extended its blocking measures for sensitive search terms like “suicide” and “eating disorders” to include additional terms such as “alcohol” and “gore,” even when misspelled.

Application to Chats and AI Interactions

The PG-13 guidelines will also apply to chat and AI interactions targeted at teens, ensuring that responses remain appropriate within the PG-13 framework.

New “Limited Content” Restriction

For parents seeking stricter controls, Meta is launching a “Limited Content” restriction, which will block a broader range of content and interactions on posts for teen users.