Instagram’s Global Teen Safety Plan: A PG-13 System Rolling Out Worldwide

Meta has announced a new global strategy for teen safety on Instagram, centered on a PG-13 style content rating system that will be rolled out worldwide. The initiative will begin in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada before expanding to Europe and the rest of the world early next year.
This new system will automatically place all users under the age of 18 into a more restrictive “13+” setting. This setting serves as a new, safer baseline for the teen experience. Any decision to move to a less restrictive setting must be approved by a parent, making it a globally consistent policy.
The international standard for this PG-13 mode will include filtering out content with strong language, risky stunts, and promotions of harmful behaviors. It will also block certain search terms across all regions where it is implemented, aiming for a uniform level of protection.
This global initiative is a response to worldwide pressure from regulators and safety advocates. A recent independent report, with input from a former Meta engineer, highlighted significant failings in the platform’s safety tools, creating a sense of urgency for a more comprehensive solution.
While the phased rollout aims for a consistent global standard, campaigners from organizations like the Molly Rose Foundation remain skeptical. They argue that a global PR announcement does not guarantee global safety and that the effectiveness of these tools must be proven through transparent, independent verification in all regions.