Instagram Receives Cease and Desist Order for ‘PG-13‘ Teen Account Claims
MENLO PARK, CA - November 2, 2023 – The Motion picture Association (MPA) has issued a cease and desist order to Meta, Instagram’s parent company, demanding it stop referencing the “PG-13” rating in connection with its new teen account features. The order,sent on October 28th,alleges that Meta’s use of the rating is “literally false and highly misleading.”
The dispute stems from Meta’s announcement last month of updates to Instagram’s teen accounts, designed to limit content to material “similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.” The MPA asserts that Meta did not consult with the institution prior to this announcement and that the platform’s content restriction process does not align with the MPA’s established rating system.
“The MPA has worked for decades to earn the public’s trust in its rating system,” the MPA stated in a letter to Meta, obtained by The verge. “Meta’s claim that its Teen Accounts will be ‘guided by’ or ‘aligned with’ the MPA’s PG-13 rating and that Teen Account content will be ‘similar to’ what would be seen in a PG-13 movie has the real potential to erode that trust.”
The MPA’s rating system is a voluntary industry practice, where a board of parents reviews films and assigns ratings based on content. These ratings are intended to provide guidance to families regarding age-appropriateness.
Despite the MPA’s request to permanently halt the use of the PG-13 designation, Meta appears to be resisting. In a response to the MPA, also seen by The Verge, Meta claims its use of the rating constitutes fair use, stating, “Meta has never claimed or implied that its Teen Account offerings are officially PG-13 rated or certified by the MPA – actually, it has expressly stated the opposite.”
