The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has sent a cease and desist order to Meta, demanding that Instagram stop using the “PG-13” movie rating to describe the content standards for its teen-focused accounts. The trade group, which is responsible for the U.S. movie rating system, called Meta’s use of the term “literally false and highly misleading.”
The dispute, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, stems from an update Meta announced for Instagram last month. In that announcement, Meta stated that teen accounts would be restricted to viewing content “similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie.” The MPA immediately issued a statement at the time, noting that Meta had not contacted them before using the rating.
In the cease and desist letter, sent on October 28th, the MPA argued that Meta’s use of the rating could “erode” the public’s trust in its system, which it has built over decades. The letter, seen by The Verge, states that Meta’s attempt to restrict content does not follow the MPA’s own “curated process” for determining what qualifies as PG-13.
Despite the MPA’s demand to permanently stop using the PG-13 mark, Meta appears to be holding its ground. In a response to the MPA, Meta claimed its use of the rating qualifies as “fair use.” The company’s defense is that it has never claimed its teen accounts are “officially PG-13 rated or certified by the MPA,” and, in fact, “has expressly stated the opposite.”
