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Meta adds new teen account limits amid growing mental health concerns

Meta is changing how teens use Instagram, rolling out new restrictions as pressure grows on the app’s impact on young people’s mental health.

“We really support you. We’ve done a lot of research with parents to understand the types of things that matter most to them“,” Meta spokeswoman Tara Hopkins said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”

The launch comes as Meta faces increasing pressure from lawmakers and parents concerned about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health. Under the new system, teen accounts will now be guided with a PG-13 rating system, similar to how movies are rated.

META places new safeguards on teen Instagram accounts, introducing PG-13 content filters

“Today, we’re announcing that teen Instagram accounts will be guided by PG-13 movie ratings by default,” Meta said in a post on the company’s blog.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on January 31, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Images/Getty Images)

“This means teens will see content on Instagram similar to what they see in a PG-13 movie.”

Hopkins said the company chose the movie rating model to help parents feel more comfortable deciding what is best for their families.

“This is a model that is more familiar to parents,” she said.

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“Parents of teens have grown up with movies and understand that much better than they might understand the way a company like Meta talks about our content ratings.”

The company says new teen users will automatically be placed in the PG-13 setting and won’t be able to opt out without parental permission.

Some parents remain skeptical.

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A recent report, “Teen Accounts, Broken Promises,” published by a coalition of online safety advocacy groups, found that of 47 Instagram safety features, 30 are either no longer available or ineffective, nine have had their harm reduced, and only eight work as advertised without significant limitations.

Hopkins said Meta has heard parents’ criticism and is incorporating the feedback into its products.

Instagram app logo

In this illustration, the Instagram app logo on iPhone is displayed in the Apple Store. (Getty Images)

The new system will filter posts that contain strong language or risky behavior, and teens will be blocked from following or interacting with accounts that share age-inappropriate content.

“We have over 40,000 people at Meta who are dedicated to safety and integrity,Hopkins said.

“We really care deeply about this. We want parents to have that confidence that when their teen uses Instagram, they’re having a very safe and protective experience, especially when they’re younger, under 18.”“.

Read more from Fox Business

2025-10-15 15:55:00

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