Instagram will limit what users under 18 can see on the platform using filters inspired by the PG-13 movie rating system, in the latest step by its parent Meta to address criticism that it has not done enough to protect teenagers online.

Modeled on the Motion Picture Association’s ratings, the new system will restrict posts featuring strong language, risky stunts, drug references or other mature themes. The rules will also apply to Meta’s generative AI tools, it said yesterday, according to a Reuters report.

The move follows criticism from advocacy groups and lawsuits alleging the company failed to protect young users from harmful content or misled them about the psychological harm from its platforms.

A report in September showed numerous safety features Meta has implemented on Instagram over the years do not work well or exist. Reuters also revealed in August that Meta allowed provocative chatbot behaviour, including letting bots engage in “conversations that are romantic or sensual”.

Meta said yesterday its latest move automatically places teen accounts under the PG-13 settings, which parents can adjust to add stricter content and screen-time controls with a “limited content setting”. Teen users will also be blocked from interacting with accounts sharing age-inappropriate material.

“We hope this update reassures parents,” Meta said in a blog post, “We know teens may try to avoid these restrictions, which is why we’ll use age prediction technology to place teens into certain content protections — even if they claim to be adults.”

Meta in August added safeguards for teenagers across its AI products by training its systems to avoid flirty exchanges and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors. That followed a broader overhaul last year that introduced enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram users under 18.

The new settings will be released in the US, UK, Australia and Canada, with full launch expected by the year-end. Meta is also introducing more safeguards for teens on Facebook.

The move comes as Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and YouTube face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictive nature of social media.