will now limit the content that teenage users can see on Instagram to what they would typically encounter in a movie rated PG-13, the social media company said Tuesday.
With the new content guidelines, Meta said it will hide certain accounts from teenagers, including those that share sexualized content or media related to drugs and alcohol. Additionally, teenagers on Instagram will not be recommended posts that contain swear words, though teen users can still search for it.
The changes come after the company has faced waves of criticism over its handling of child-safety and related mental health concerns on its platform.
As part of the changes, Instagram accounts with names or biographies with links to adult-themed websites like OnlyFans or liquor stores will be hidden from teens, the company said. Teen Instagram users will no longer able to follow those kinds of accounts, and if they already do, they will be unable to see or interact with the more adult-leaning content that they share.
Meta executives said during a media briefing that while the company’s previous content guidelines were already in line or exceeded PG-13 standards, some parents said they were confused about what kinds of content teens could view on Instagram. To provide clarity, Meta decided to more closely standardize its teen-content policies with movie ratings that parents could better understand, the executives said.
