The Motion Picture Association (MPA), the powerful trade organization long responsible for managing and enforcing the film industry’s well-known movie rating system, has formally requested that Meta discontinue its use of the rating term “PG-13” when describing the type of content accessible to teenage users on Instagram. The association took decisive legal action on October 28 by issuing a cease-and-desist order, arguing that Meta’s application of the designation is not only inaccurate but also fundamentally deceptive. According to reports first brought to light by The Wall Street Journal, the MPA’s letter characterizes Meta’s use of “PG-13” as both “literally false and highly misleading,” implying that the tech company’s invocation of the rating risks confusing the public about its origin and authority.
This dispute comes on the heels of Meta’s recent announcement concerning modifications to Instagram settings for teens. In this update, the company revealed that it would begin restricting content for these users to material described as being “similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.” The decision was presented as part of Meta’s broader effort to make the Instagram environment safer and more age-appropriate. However, following the announcement, the MPA swiftly responded with a public statement clarifying that Meta had neither informed nor consulted the association prior to adopting this terminology. This detail was viewed by many as a significant oversight, since the MPA’s rating process has historically been tightly controlled, deliberate, and proprietary in nature.
Now, the situation has escalated considerably. The MPA is not merely expressing concern but actively challenging Meta’s move on procedural and reputational grounds. In its letter—copies of which were reviewed by The Verge—the association emphasizes that the credibility of its movie rating system is rooted in decades of painstaking development and consistent public communication. Through countless evaluations of film content—measuring factors such as language, thematic intensity, and depictions of violence or sexuality—the MPA has cultivated a reputation for offering parents and audiences reliable guidance regarding age-appropriate material. Consequently, the organization maintains that Meta’s claim that Instagram’s teen accounts will be “guided by” or “aligned with” the MPA’s PG-13 standard threatens to undermine this trust. By implying some form of official connection or equivalence, Meta could, in the association’s view, blur the boundaries between a rigorously supervised cinematic classification framework and an internally defined social media content moderation policy.
The letter underscores that the MPA’s evaluation process is not arbitrary, but rather a “curated” and transparent system developed to serve the needs of both filmmakers and the viewing public. Thus, any external organization, such as a technology company, invoking its terms without adherence to that process risks eroding the meaningful distinctions upon which the rating system depends. The MPA’s plea is therefore straightforward yet forceful: Meta must immediately and permanently cease using the “PG-13” mark and refrain from any references that may conflate Instagram’s internal categorization efforts with the association’s official ratings.
Meta, however, appears unwilling to comply with these directives. In a formal response obtained by The Verge, the company defended its position by invoking the doctrine of fair use. Meta argued that its description of teen account content was never intended to misrepresent or falsely suggest formal endorsement by the MPA. Rather, it contended that the phrase “PG-13” was employed merely as a publicly recognizable point of comparison—an illustrative shorthand to convey to users and parents the general nature of the moderation limits applied to younger audiences. The company further stressed that it has explicitly stated in communications and documentation that Instagram’s teen content filters are not officially rated, vetted, or certified by the MPA.
In essence, the confrontation between these two influential entities highlights the growing complexities at the intersection of traditional entertainment regulation and modern digital content governance. The MPA’s insistence on safeguarding its intellectual and reputational property contrasts sharply with Meta’s ambition to use familiar cultural language to clarify its safety initiatives. Whether this disagreement results in legal consequences, a negotiated resolution, or a reevaluation of how tech companies borrow from legacy media systems, it underscores a central tension of the digital age: the blending—and potential confusion—of long-established cultural standards with emerging online frameworks for user protection.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/814159/instagram-mpa-teen-accounts-pg13-rating-cease-and-desist
