mm-news-@dmin New update hides risky and harmful posts from teenage users in select countries
Instagram on Tuesday tightened content filtering for teen accounts to align with PG-13 ratings standards used for films.
The move comes as Meta and other social media platforms face pressure to show. They aren’t putting profit and engagement over the well-being of users, especially children.
Instagram called the content filtering enhancement the most significant update to its Teen Accounts. Since launching them in September last year.
The result will be that teens on Instagram might see the same level of mature content found in movies with the voluntary PG-13 rating, introduced by the Motion Picture Association of America in 1984.
US theatres use PG-13 ratings to warn parents about movie scenes that may not be suitable for children under 13.
The rating warns parents that a film contains slightly more intense nudity, violence, or drug use than those carrying a parental guidance (PG) recommendation.
The decision to apply standards invented by the film industry for children younger than 13 years old is part of an effort to adopt “the most protective settings” for teenagers, according to Capucine Tuffier, Meta’s head of public affairs in charge of child protection.
Cited examples of content that could trigger PG-13 ratings included drastic diets or the glorification of alcohol or tobacco use.
Instagram-parent Meta will continue to use age detection technology to spot teenagers who try to evade restrictions by claiming to be adults, according to the social networking giant.
Instagram already bars shocking or sexually explicit content from teen accounts.
According to Instagram, the update will hide posts that encourage potentially harmful behavior—such as “risky challenges”—and remove them from recommendations.
The update is rolling out in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. With plans to expand to additional countries in the coming months.
An independent Classification and Rating Administration board made up of parents determines film ratings under the scheme.
People seeking more control over what their children see on Instagram will be able to choose. A “restricted content” option that prevents young users from seeing, writing, or receiving comments under posts.
Starting next year, the restricted content option will be made available to throttle conversations. Teens can interact with artificial intelligence tools, according to Meta.
California this week enacted a landmark law that requires chatbot operators to implement “critical” safeguards regarding interactions with AI chatbots.
The law comes after revelations of suicides involving teens who used chatbots before taking their lives.
