Technology

Instagram implements new restrictions for teenagers and expands parental control features.

Published On Wed, 15 Oct 2025
Meera Iyer
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Instagram is rolling out new content guidelines for teen users, designed to align with PG-13 movie ratings. Teens under 18 will automatically be placed in an updated 13+ setting, which cannot be changed without parental permission. The update ensures that teens are exposed to content suitable for their age while giving parents greater control over their child’s experience.

PG-13 is a media rating that suggests parental guidance for children under 13. Following this standard, Instagram has revised its teen safety policies so that teens will only see content appropriate for a PG-13 audience. Families seeking stricter oversight can activate a more restrictive content setting. Meta described this update as the most significant change to Teen Accounts since their introduction last year. Age prediction technology will help prevent teens from bypassing restrictions, while advanced detection tools will automatically flag and limit inappropriate content.

Teens will no longer be able to follow or interact with accounts flagged for sharing adult or harmful material, and such accounts will be prevented from messaging or following teens. These protections extend across the platform, including search results, content feeds like Explore, Reels, Feed, and Stories, and even direct messages, ensuring that teens do not encounter posts that violate the updated guidelines. Instagram’s AI features will also follow PG-13 standards to provide age-appropriate interactions.

Additionally, Instagram is introducing a “Limited Content” mode for parents seeking tighter control. This mode filters out more mature content and disables the ability for teens to view, post, or comment. Starting next year, it will also impose limits on certain AI interactions. The updated policies further reduce exposure to sexually suggestive material, graphic imagery, and adult content such as alcohol and tobacco promotions. Posts featuring strong language, risky stunts, or drug-related material, including marijuana, will be hidden or restricted. Search filters will be expanded to block mature terms and their variations. The rollout has begun in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, with a full global rollout expected by the end of the year. Similar measures will also be applied to Facebook in the coming months.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Meta.