Instagram’s New Update Will Restrict Teen Accounts to PG-13 Content, But Is It Enough?

Meta, the company that owns Instagram, announced on its blog on Tuesday that teen accounts on the platform will now only be able to see PG-13 content on their feed, which means no content related to sex, drugs, and dangerous stunts. The post also mentioned that the update includes “hiding or not recommending posts with strong language, certain risky stunts, and additional content that could encourage potentially harmful behaviours, such as posts showing marijuana paraphernalia.”

The change would be a default setting for teen accounts and can only be changed with parents’ permission.

After introducing teen accounts last year, this is Meta’s most significant update to minimize the negative impact of social media on teens and minors.

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Are the steps sufficient to protect teens from harmful and sensitive content?

While it seems like an effort in the right direction, it is far from adequate, as Meta’s teen account update has not been as helpful as the company would like to believe. According to a study by Accountable Tech, a non-partisan NGO, and Design It For Us, a youth-led initiative that advocates for safer online spaces for youth, the reality of teen accounts is very different from what their actual purpose is.

Study claims Meta’s efforts are not adequate

The report, titled ‘Scary Feeds: The Reality of Teen Accounts’, says, “Meta announced the end of its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S., replacing it with a 'Community Notes' system akin to Twitter/X. Meta also announced updates to their hate speech guidelines to permit harmful language about women, LGBTQ+ people, and Black and Brown people. Such actions open the door to harmful and hateful content on Instagram for all users, including young people.”

The study that included 5 teen volunteers from Design It For Us found that the algorithm showed sexually explicit content to teen accounts despite the controls and restrictions imposed. Apart from that, participants were exposed to content that related to eating disorders, body image issues, homophobia, and the red pill culture of promoting toxic masculinity.

While Meta has not directly reacted to the reports, it has claimed that the new safeguards would be more effective than the previous ones and even apply to artificial intelligence chats to ensure “AIs should not give age-inappropriate responses that would feel out of place in a PG-13 movie”.