The Motion Picture Association (MPA) issued a cease-and-desist order to Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms, accusing it of making “literally false and highly misleading” claims by branding “teen accounts” as guided by a PG-13 rating, according to The Verge.
PG-13 is a movie rating by MPA that warns parents that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
On October 28, the MPA sent a formal cease-and-desist letter to Meta after noting that Instagram had updated its teen account settings to state that the content users see is “similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.”
The MPA argues that Instagram’s use of the PG-13 classification undermines its long-established rating system, a system that requires a curated, formal review process that Meta did not follow.
Meta responded that it “has never claimed or implied that its Teen Account offerings are officially PG-13 rated or certified by the MPA, in fact, it has expressly stated the opposite.” Moreover, Meta argued that its use of the PG-13 label qualifies as fair use.
Meanwhile, the MPA says that Instagram’s messaging creates a “real potential to erode” public trust in the rating system, given the MPA’s decades of work. The two organizations are now at odds, the MPA demanding that Meta permanently cease the use of the PG-13 mark, and Meta indicating it does not plan to comply.
On October 14, 2025, the MPA issued a statement addressing the recent tool launched by Instagram. The MPA affirmed that it was not contacted by Meta Platforms before the announcement of the Teen Accounts moderation tool.
Furthermore, it emphasized that while it welcomes efforts to protect younger users, it rejects any claim linking Instagram’s new feature to PG-13 movie ratings or the film industry’s rating system as inaccurate.
The MPA reminded that its voluntary film-rating system, administered by the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), has operated for nearly sixty years and involves parents reviewing entire films before assigning ratings.
The statement underlines the association’s concern about the integrity of the established motion picture rating process and clarifies that the PG-13 classification remains specific to its system.
Instagram introduced what it describes as PG-13-style guardrails for teenage accounts under the new “13+” setting on October 14. Under this setup, Instagram automatically places all users under 18 into content settings that show only material similar to what a PG-13 film would allow. The platform will thereby hide content with strong language, risky stunts, or posts that could encourage harmful behaviors such as drug or alcohol use.
Moreover, Instagram is rolling out a “Limited Content” option for parents who believe even the PG-13 standard is too permissive. This will allow parents to block their teen’s ability to see, leave, or receive comments, and to restrict direct messages as well as age-inappropriate search results.
Additionally, the update enforces platform-wide protections: Instagram now blocks accounts that share age-inappropriate content from following or contacting teen users, and it prevents teens from viewing direct messages that violate the new standards.
Importantly, Instagram is beginning the rollout in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, and plans to extend it to other markets later. While the move comes as Meta Platforms faces global scrutiny over teen safety, the company also surveyed parents, finding that 95% of respondents believed the new teen safety settings would be helpful, while 96% supported the “Limited Content” option.
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