Meta Agrees to MPA’s Limits on “PG-13” References for Instagram Teen Accounts

WASHINGTON – The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) have reached a resolution relating to Meta’s use of the MPA’s trademarked PG-13 film rating in connection with Instagram Teen Accounts.

“Today’s agreement clearly distinguishes the MPA’s film ratings from Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA. “While we welcome efforts to protect kids from content that may not be appropriate for them, this agreement helps ensure that parents do not conflate the two systems – which operate in very different contexts. The MPA is proud of the trust we have built with parents for nearly sixty years with our film rating system, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect that trust.”

“We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with the MPA. By taking inspiration from a framework families know, our goal was to help parents better understand our teen content policies. We rigorously reviewed those policies against 13+ movie ratings criteria and parent feedback, updated them, and applied them to Teen Accounts by default. While that’s not changing, we’ve taken the MPA’s feedback on how we talk about that work. We’ll keep working to support parents and provide age-appropriate experiences for teens,” said a Meta spokesperson.

As part of the resolution, Meta agreed to substantially reduce its references to the MPA’s “PG-13” mark when describing Teen Accounts. Meta also agreed to include a disclaimer that will read: “There are lots of differences between social media and movies. We didn’t work with the MPA when updating our content settings, and they’re not rating any content on Instagram, and they’re not endorsing or approving our content settings in any way. Rather, we drew inspiration from the MPA’s public guidelines, which are already familiar to parents. Our content moderation systems are not the same as a movie ratings board, so the experience may not be exactly the same.” A shorter disclaimer will be used where space is limited.

The terms of the agreement take effect April 15.

For nearly 60 years, the MPA’s Classification and Rating Administration’s (CARA) voluntary film rating system has helped American parents make informed decisions about what movies their children can watch. The Ratings Board is comprised of parents who must have a child between the ages of five and 15 when they first join, and they can serve up to seven years or until their youngest child turns 21. The Board watches every movie in its entirety and assigns it a rating and descriptor that aligns with the views of the majority of American parents – and filmmakers can appeal decisions if they disagree. Over 90% of parents say CARA’s film ratings help them make better viewing choices for their families.

CARA does not rate user-generated content. CARA-rated films are professionally produced and reviewed under a human-centered system, while user-generated posts on platforms like Instagram are not subject to the same rating process.

TIMELINE OF KEY MOMENTS

• October 14, 2025: Meta announced that the new content moderation tool for its Instagram Teen Accounts would be “guided by the PG-13 rating.”
• October 14, 2025: MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin issues immediate response statement countering Meta’s claims.
• October 28, 2025: MPA sends cease-and-desist to Meta.
• November 6, 2025: Rivkin pens op-ed in the Washington Post detailing why the MPA opposes Meta’s characterization of its new tool.
• December 19, 2025: Meta updated its initial announcement to replace “guided by PG-13″ with “inspired by movie ratings for ages 13+” and include disclaimer language similar to the disclaimer agreed to today as part of its resolution with the MPA.
• March 31, 2026: MPA and Meta announce resolution.

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About The Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are: Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO. “PG-13” (and each of the MPA’s other ratings’ designations) is a registered trademark of the Motion Picture Association, Inc.

Media Contact

Tom Zigo

Tom_Zigo@motionpictures.org