Trending Now - Instagram to Add Disclaimer and Drop PG-13 for Teen Accounts

WHO:

Deadline - Meta is the parent company of Instagram.

Variety - The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is involved in the agreement with Instagram.

WHAT:

Deadline - Meta will add a disclaimer stating, "There are lots of differences between social media and movies" when it uses the PG-13 rating.

Engadget - The updated disclaimer clarifies that the MPA is not rating or endorsing any content on Instagram.

The Hollywood Reporter - The terms of the agreement between Meta and the MPA will go into effect beginning April 15th, 2026.

Deadline - Meta appropriated the PG-13 moniker last fall to reassure parents amid controversy around youth engagement on the platform.

Engadget - Meta's updated disclaimer states, "We didn’t work with the MPA when updating our content settings, they’re not rating any content on Instagram, and they’re not endorsing or approving our content settings in any way."

The Hollywood Reporter - Meta stated, "By taking inspiration from a framework families know, our goal was to help parents better understand our teen content policies."

Engadget - Meta will begin to "substantially reduce" its use of the PG-13 ratings system in relation to its Teen Accounts on Instagram starting on April 15th, 2026.

Engadget - The Motion Picture Association stated that Meta's previous claims about the comparability of its teen accounts to PG-13 ratings were "literally false and highly misleading."

Engadget - Meta's updated disclaimer clarifies that it did not work with the MPA when updating its content settings and that the MPA is not rating or endorsing any content on Instagram.

Deadline - Meta will “substantially reduce” its references to the PG-13 mark in Instagram Teen Accounts.

Variety - Instagram will add a disclaimer stating, “There are lots of differences between social media and movies” when it uses the PG-13 rating.

Techmeme - Instagram has reached an agreement with the MPA to cease using the PG-13 trademark in its Teen Accounts marketing.

WHERE:

Techmeme - The agreement involves Instagram, which operates as a social media platform.

WHEN:

Variety - The announcement regarding the addition of the disclaimer was made on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026.

WHY:

Engadget - The MPA argued that the connection between its film ratings and Meta's Teen Account content moderation tools could have a detrimental effect on the MPA’s public image by association.

Deadline - The decision to limit the use of the PG-13 rating comes after pressure from the Motion Picture Association due to concerns over youth engagement on the platform.

HOW:

Engadget - Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, stated, "Today’s agreement clearly distinguishes the MPA’s film ratings from Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools."

Variety - The MPA's Chairman and CEO, Charles Rivkin, emphasized that the agreement helps ensure that parents do not conflate the two systems, which operate in very different contexts.

Engadget - Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, stated that the agreement helps ensure that parents do not conflate the MPA’s film ratings with Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools, which operate in very different contexts.

Techmeme - The agreement was reached following a cease and desist (C&D) letter from the MPA to Instagram.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 23:07 UTC)

Meta will soon add a disclaimer stating, "There are lots of differences between social media and movies," when it uses the PG-13 rating, clarifying that the MPA is not rating or endorsing any content on Instagram. This updated disclaimer is part of an agreement between Meta and the MPA that will take effect April 15th. Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, emphasized that this agreement clearly distinguishes the MPA’s film ratings from Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 21:09 UTC)

Meta has clarified its use of the PG-13 label, which it adopted last fall to reassure parents amid concerns about youth engagement on its platform. In an updated disclaimer, Meta stated that it did not collaborate with the Motion Picture Association when revising its content settings, and the MPA is not involved in rating or endorsing Instagram's content. MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin highlighted that this agreement is crucial to prevent parents from confusing the two systems, which function in distinctly different contexts.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 19:22 UTC)

Meta will start to significantly reduce its use of the PG-13 ratings system for Teen Accounts on Instagram beginning April 15th, following criticism from the Motion Picture Association, which called Meta's previous claims about the comparability of its teen accounts to PG-13 ratings "literally false and highly misleading." The updated disclaimer from Meta makes it clear that they did not collaborate with the MPA on their content settings and that the MPA is not involved in rating or endorsing any content on Instagram. Charles Rivkin, the Chairman and CEO of the MPA, emphasized that this agreement is crucial to prevent parents from confusing the MPA’s film ratings with Instagram’s Teen Account content moderation tools, which function in entirely different contexts.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 15:21 UTC)

Instagram has reached an agreement with the Motion Picture Association to stop using the PG-13 trademark in its Teen Accounts marketing, following a cease and desist letter from the MPA. As part of this agreement, Meta, Instagram's parent company, will substantially reduce references to the PG-13 mark and will add a disclaimer stating, “There are lots of differences between social media and movies.” The announcement about this change was made on Tuesday, in response to concerns over youth engagement on the platform.