Instagram is rolling out a significant update to safeguard younger users by restricting their feeds to only show content appropriate for a PG-13 audience. The update, announced by Meta, comes in response to growing concerns about the platform’s impact on teens, and will be implemented worldwide over the next few months.
From now on, all accounts belonging to users under 18 will be automatically set to a default “13+” content setting. This setting restricts access to posts that include strong language, dangerous stunts, drug-related content, and other mature themes. Even if teenagers attempt to search for such content, the system will block not only the keywords but also common misspellings.
Meta is also introducing a new “Limited Content” mode, which allows parents to have more control over what their children can view, comment on, or interact with in messages. Teens will not be able to alter these settings without parental consent.
To further enhance safety, Instagram will employ AI tools to detect users who provide incorrect age information when signing up. These users will be moved to the appropriate age settings. Existing safety features, such as private account defaults, content filtering, and notification restrictions at night, will remain active.
Additionally, the update will prevent teens from following accounts that consistently post inappropriate content. If they are already following such accounts, those connections will be blocked or removed.
The changes will first be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, with plans to expand to other countries later in the year.
