Meta tightens teen safeguards on Instagram with PG-13-style content filters

A report in September showed numerous safety features Meta has implemented on Instagram over the years do not work well or exist. Reuters also reported in August that Meta allowed provocative chatbot behavior, including letting bots engage in "conversations that are romantic or sensual". Meta said on Tuesday its latest move automatically place teen accounts under the PG-13 settings, which parents can adjust to add stricter content and screen-time controls with a "limited content setting". Teen users will also be blocked from interacting with accounts sharing age-inappropriate material. "We hope this update reassures parents," Meta said in a blog post. "We know teens may try to avoid these restrictions, which is why we'll use age prediction technology to place teens into certain content protections — even if they claim to be adults."