Meta is changing how teens use Instagram, rolling out new restrictions as pressure mounts over the app’s impact on young people’s mental health.
“We really do have your back. We have done so much research with parents to really understand the kinds of things that they’re most concerned about,” Meta spokesperson Tara Hopkins said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”
The launch comes as Meta faces growing pressure from lawmakers and parents concerned by the effect of social media on young people’s mental health. Under the new system, teen accounts will now be guided by a PG-13 rating system, similar to how movies are rated.
META PLACES NEW SAFEGUARDS ON TEEN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS, INTRODUCES PG-13-GUIDED CONTENT FILTERS
“Today, we’re announcing that Instagram Teen Accounts will be guided by PG-13 movie ratings by default,” Meta said in a company blog post.
“This means that teens will see content on Instagram that’s similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.”
Hopkins said the company chose the movie rating model to help parents feel more comfortable deciding what is best for their family.
“That’s a much more familiar model for parents,” she said.
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“Parents of teens have grown up with movies and understand that much better than they maybe would understand the way a company like Meta would speak about our content ratings.”
The company says new teen users will automatically be placed into the PG-13 setting and won’t be able to opt out without parental permission.
Some parents remain skeptical.
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A recent report titled “Teen Accounts, Broken Promises,” published by a coalition of online safety advocacy groups, found that of 47 Instagram safety features, 30 were either no longer available or ineffective, nine reduced harm, and only eight worked as advertised without major limitations.
Hopkins said Meta has listened to criticism from parents and is incorporating feedback into its products.
The new system will filter out posts featuring strong language or risky behaviors, and teens will be blocked from following or interacting with accounts that share age-inappropriate content.
“We have over 40,000 people at Meta who are dedicated to safety and integrity,” Hopkins said.
“We really care very, very deeply about this. We want parents to have that confidence that when their teenager is using Instagram, they’re in a very safe and protective experience, particularly when they’re younger, below the age of 18.”
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