Instagram Scales Back PG-13 References Following MPA Agreement

Instagram, the social media platform owned by Meta, has agreed to substantially reduce its use of the PG-13 rating associated with its Teen Accounts. This decision follows a dispute with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) over the platform's earlier adoption of terminology inspired by the film rating system.

Late last year, Instagram introduced teen accounts that were initially described as being “inspired” by the MPA’s PG-13 rating. This move prompted a strong reaction from the MPA, which closely guards its established film rating system and views the cross-platform use as misleading.

MPA's Legal Challenge and Concerns

The MPA swiftly responded to Instagram’s announcement, citing its nearly 60-year history of providing trusted film ratings. The organization sent a cease and desist letter to Meta, labeling the use of PG-13 as “false and highly misleading.”

Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, issued a statement welcoming efforts to protect minors but emphasizing the need for clarity. He stated, “Today’s agreement clearly distinguishes the MPA’s film ratings from Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools.” Rivkin added that the goal is to ensure parents do not “conflate the two systems – which operate in very different contexts.”

Instagram’s Stance and New Disclaimer

A spokesperson for Meta expressed satisfaction with the resolution reached with the MPA. The platform had initially aimed to use a familiar framework to help parents understand its content policies for teens.

The spokesperson confirmed that Instagram rigorously reviewed its policies against 13+ movie ratings criteria and incorporated parent feedback before applying them to Teen Accounts by default. While the underlying policies remain unchanged, Meta acknowledged the MPA's feedback regarding communication.

Formalizing the Distinction Between Systems

The agreement announced on Tuesday formalizes the separation between the two entities’ rating mechanisms. Prior to this resolution, Meta had already adjusted its language to refer to content settings as being “inspired by movie ratings for ages 13+” and added a disclaimer.

The new, formalized disclaimer will explicitly state the differences between social media moderation and film ratings. It will clarify that Instagram did not collaborate with the MPA on its content settings.

The disclaimer will read: “There are lots of differences between social media and movies. We didn’t work with the MPA when updating our content settings, and they’re not rating any content on Instagram, and they’re not endorsing or approving our content settings in any way. Rather, we drew inspiration from the MPA’s public guidelines, which are already familiar to parents. Our content moderation systems are not the same as a movie ratings board, so the experience may not be exactly the same.”