The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has sent Meta a cease-and-desist letter demanding that Meta stop describing teen Instagram content as “guided by PG-13 ratings,” arguing the phrase is misleading and undermines trust in the traditional movie rating system.

Meta says the change is meant to support parents and provide clarity, and it clarifies that it never claimed a partnership with the MPA or that its content had been rated by the MPA.

Meta maintains its teen content policies are “closer to PG-13 movie standards” to help parents understand what teens see, and reiterates there was no suggestion of a formal partnership or that content was rated by the MPAA.

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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez criticized Meta’s approach as inadequate for safeguarding children and linked it to ongoing litigation over design choices; a trial is set for February over claims of misleading consumers about platform dangers.

The October 28 letter was addressed to Meta’s chief legal officer, Jennifer Newstead.

The move follows broader concerns about Instagram’s teen-safety handling, including criticisms from youth advocacy groups about child safety protocols.

Meta has been widening safety measures for young users and AI avatars amid criticism, lawsuits, and regulatory scrutiny over potential harms to minors and AI interactions, including reports of provocative conversations with minors and parental controls like disabling private chats with AI characters.

U.S. regulators have intensified scrutiny of AI firms over potential harms from chatbots; Reuters reported that Meta’s AI rules previously allowed provocative conversations with minors.

The cease-and-desist letter alleges potential false advertising and trademark-dilution violations, while signaling the MPA’s preference for an amicable resolution over litigation.

The MPA represents major Hollywood studios and streaming services, including Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, and Prime Video.

The broader context involves ongoing scrutiny over how platforms classify teen content and communicate ratings or policies to users and parents.

The MPA notes its ratings system has been in place since 1968, with PG-13 introduced in 1984 as an intermediate category; the first U.S. film with PG-13 was Red Dawn.