Post by : Badri Ariffin

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has issued a cease-and-desist notice to Meta, alleging the company improperly tied Instagram’s new content restrictions for teens to the PG-13 film rating.

In a letter dated October 28 to Meta’s Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead, the MPA argued that Meta’s suggestion its moderation approach reflects PG-13 standards is “literally false and highly misleading.” The group highlighted that film ratings result from a curated, consensus-driven process, in contrast to automated content-filtering systems used by social platforms.

Meta announced last month that Instagram would limit certain content for users under 18, saying the change was inspired by the PG-13 classification and intended to give parents greater confidence about their teens’ online experience.

The MPA emphasized that PG-13 is a registered certification mark and warned that unauthorized references risk diluting public trust in the established rating framework. It demanded Meta immediately stop invoking PG-13 in connection with its youth safety features and asked for a response by November 3.

A Meta spokesperson replied that the company never claimed a formal partnership with the MPA nor suggested its content carried an official rating. “Our filters are designed to protect teens, not to emulate any film-classification procedure,” the spokesperson said, adding that Meta hopes to engage with the MPA to resolve the issue.

Meta has intensified safety controls across its services for younger users amid criticism and litigation accusing the company of failing to shield minors from harmful material. The firm has also rolled out parental controls, including options to disable private chats between teens and AI-driven characters.

With regulators increasingly focused on AI and youth protection, the dispute highlights a broader tension between technology companies’ self-regulation efforts and the entertainment sector’s stewardship of its rating marks.

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