Meta announced Tuesday there would be more restrictions for teen accounts on the social media platform Instagram that will be guided by PG-13 ratings.
“Today, we’re announcing that Instagram Teen Accounts will be guided by PG-13 movie ratings by default,” Meta, parent company of Instagram, said in a statement. “This means that teens will see content on Instagram that’s similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.”
The updated restrictions come as a growing list of states and cities have taken legal action to force tech companies to bear responsibility for the effects their products have had on children. New York City in the latest, announcing it has sued the parent companies of Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, accusing the companies of creating products that could lead to mental health issues for children.
Congress has also been looking at ways to rein in Big Tech’s influence on society and children after pressure from parents and advocacy groups.
Meta said in the statement that individuals under 18 with an Instagram account will be put under a 13+ setting and the only way they can get out of it is with permission from parents.
The PG-13 update also applies to artificial intelligence chats and experiences targeted to teens, Meta said, “meaning AIs should not give age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie.”
Meta said it also has created a stricter setting for parents who want less content for their kids called “limited content.”
“The new Limited Content setting is designed to give parents more control over what their teen sees on Instagram,” Meta said, adding that “96% of US parents said they appreciated having this option, whether they choose to opt their teen in or not.”
The company invited parents to share feedback with them on the new system.
“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,” Meta said. “We recognize no system is perfect, and we’re committed to improving over time.”
The new updated restrictions will avoid recommending or showing videos or posts with sexual content, usage of marijuana, or “risky stunts.”
Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.
