Instagram’s Biggest Teen Safety Update Yet: PG-13 Filters, AI Age Checks, and Stricter Parental Control

Instagram is now following PG-13 movie rating guidelines regarding the content shown on teen accounts. On Tuesday, the Meta-owned app revealed that users under 18 will be automatically set to the new 13+ setting, which they won't be able to modify unless they have permission from their parents. Last few months, the social network introduced a feature that enables teen accounts to view when someone else has been connected on the app while sending them a Direct Message (DM).

In a newsroom update, Instagram revealed new protections for teen accounts on the site. Basically, the firm is adopting the same PG-13 rating standards as television shows and films in the US. Included among these limits are graphic violence, gratuitous sexual scenes, constant use of drugs, and excessive use of strong language.

The Meta-owned platform stated that this is the "biggest update" since teen accounts were introduced last year. It strengthens existing automatic protections and adds more progressive content restrictions as an advanced filter. Furthermore, the company has now implemented AI-powered age prediction technology to ensure users who identify as adults but are actually teens are also subject to this content protection.

Instagram also acknowledged that its system is not perfect and that some suggestive content or strong language may occasionally appear on the platform. However, the company says its algorithm will continue to improve and keep such instances as low as possible.

The post said, "We hope this update reassures parents that we're working to show teen users safe and age-appropriate content by default, while also giving them more ways to control their children's experience."

To give parents more detailed control over their teens' experiences, Instagram is also introducing a new, stricter parental setting. This feature was developed based on feedback from thousands of parents around the world.