Key Takeaways
- Instagram is updating hundreds of millions of 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 is also putting restrictions on its AI chatbots.
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 this week.
Instagram rolled out teen accounts last year and said the feature automatically adds built-in safety protections for younger users, automatically blocking posts that feature nudity, graphic images, and sexually suggestive content. Teens 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. Under the new update, teen accounts are going PG-13, which typically allows some swear words and violence. Posts with excessive profanity or risky stunts will now be blocked.
“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
Users under 18 are automatically be placed into this safer PG-13 setting. If they want to opt out, they will need a parent’s permission.
One of Instagram’s new PG-13 features is age-gating: if an account (business or personal) regularly posts content deemed inappropriate for teens (adult themes, alcohol, gambling, stunts, risky behavior), Instagram will prevent its younger users from seeing that account, interacting with its posts, sending messages or viewing its comments.
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.
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.
Related: Meta Is Using Your AI Chatbot Conversations for the Ad Algorithm on Facebook and Instagram
Meta Is Adding AI Controls for Teen Accounts
On Friday, Meta announced that it is “prioritizing teens’ safety” by giving parents the ability to block their kids from chatting with the company’s “AI characters” (chatbots with “personaliites”) and place restrictions on topics like self-harm and romance.
“We hope today’s updates bring parents some peace of mind that their teens can make the most of all the benefits A.I. offers, with the right guardrails and oversight in place,” the company’s wrote in a post authored by both Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram and Alexandr Wang, chief AI officer.
Related: Meta Is Adding AI to Facebook Dating to Help ‘Anyone Tired of Swiping’ Find a Better Match
Instagram will also 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.
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.
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.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram is updating hundreds of millions of 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 is also putting restrictions on its AI chatbots.
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 this week.
Instagram rolled out teen accounts last year and said the feature automatically adds built-in safety protections for younger users, automatically blocking posts that feature nudity, graphic images, and sexually suggestive content. Teens 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. Under the new update, teen accounts are going PG-13, which typically allows some swear words and violence. Posts with excessive profanity or risky stunts will now be blocked.
“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.
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