Key Takeaways
- Instagram is updating teen accounts with “PG-13” filters to block posts with excessive profanity or risky stunts.
- The social media platform will also block teens from searching for sensitive topics, like alcohol and gore.
- Instagram will ensure that its AI chatbot avoids sharing suggestive, explicit or inappropriate material with teen users.
Instagram, which has hundreds of millions of teenage users, is making “the most significant update” to teen accounts yet, the social media site announced in a press release on Tuesday.
Under the new update, teens will see content on Instagram similar to what they might see in a PG-13 movie, which typically allows some swear words and violence. Instagram already blocks posts for teens that feature nudity, graphic images, and sexually suggestive content, but the platform is taking it a step further — it will now avoid recommending posts that include excessive profanity or risky stunts to teens. Anyone under 18 will automatically be placed into this safer PG-13 setting. If they want to opt out, they will need a parent’s permission.
“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,” Instagram wrote in the press release.
Related: You Can Soon Use ChatGPT to Buy Products From the World’s Largest Retailer
The PG-13 policy will roll out by the end of the year to teen accounts in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
One of Instagram’s new PG-13 features is age-gating: if an account regularly posts content that isn’t appropriate for teens, featuring adult themes or risky behavior, Instagram will prevent teen users from seeing that account, interacting with its posts, sending messages or viewing its comments.
If a business routinely posts content with alcohol, gambling, adult themes or stunts, Instagram will automatically stop teens from following, viewing or interacting with the account. Businesses targeting teens should ensure that their content meets the new safety standards or risk being blocked from teen audiences.
Instagram will also block teens from searching for sensitive topics, like alcohol or gore. The platform already has controls in place for search terms related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.
Related: Meta Is Using Your AI Chatbot Conversations for the Ad Algorithm on Facebook and Instagram
Additionally, Instagram will start limiting the kinds of conversations teens can have with Meta’s AI chatbot. This means the AI will avoid sharing suggestive, explicit, or otherwise inappropriate material.
Meta commissioned a survey last month and found that 95% of U.S. parents of teens think these updated Instagram settings will be helpful.
Parents who want even tighter controls than the default PG-13 setting can switch their teen’s account to “Limited Content.” This more restrictive mode filters out additional types of content and stops teens from viewing, posting comments, or receiving comments on posts. Beginning in 2026, Instagram’s Limited Content setting will also restrict which types of AI conversations teens can have, further tightening safety controls across the app.
Related: Meta Is Adding AI to Facebook Dating to Help ‘Anyone Tired of Swiping’ Find a Better Match
Instagram rolled out teen accounts last year and said the feature automatically adds built-in safety protections for younger users. That means teens get private accounts by default, can only get messages from people they already follow, have tougher restrictions on sensitive content and get reminders to log off after an hour each day. Additionally, the app goes into sleep mode between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., muting notifications.
In April, Instagram announced that it was using AI to spot teens who try to pass themselves off as adults, automatically putting those users into the age-appropriate teen account.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram is updating teen accounts with “PG-13” filters to block posts with excessive profanity or risky stunts.
- The social media platform will also block teens from searching for sensitive topics, like alcohol and gore.
- Instagram will ensure that its AI chatbot avoids sharing suggestive, explicit or inappropriate material with teen users.
Instagram, which has hundreds of millions of teenage users, is making “the most significant update” to teen accounts yet, the social media site announced in a press release on Tuesday.
Under the new update, teens will see content on Instagram similar to what they might see in a PG-13 movie, which typically allows some swear words and violence. Instagram already blocks posts for teens that feature nudity, graphic images, and sexually suggestive content, but the platform is taking it a step further — it will now avoid recommending posts that include excessive profanity or risky stunts to teens. Anyone under 18 will automatically be placed into this safer PG-13 setting. If they want to opt out, they will need a parent’s permission.
“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,” Instagram wrote in the press release.
The rest of this article is locked.
Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.
