The Motion Picture Association has urged Meta to stop using the term PG-13 in its content policies.
According to TechCrunch on May 5, the MPA objected to Meta’s explanation that Instagram accounts for younger users would only have access to “PG-13 rated content” under its new safety restrictions.
Last month, Meta announced plans to default youth Instagram accounts to content roughly equivalent to a PG-13 level. Two weeks later, the MPA sent a formal letter stating that Meta’s description was “inaccurate and highly misleading.”
In the letter, the MPA argued that its film rating system cannot be compared to Meta’s automated moderation methods, criticizing the company for being “over-reliant on artificial intelligence.” The association warned that complaints about Meta’s system could “undermine the credibility” of the official MPA ratings, which have been built on decades of public trust.
Meta responded with an official statement clarifying that its youth policy has no affiliation with the MPA or its certification process. The company maintained that its reference to PG-13 constitutes fair use.
