Technology corporation Meta Platforms has reached an agreement with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) to limit the use of the PG-13 label in accounts for teenagers, ending trademark disputes and the risk of misunderstanding.
According to a joint statement released on March 31 (local time), Meta will significantly reduce the use of the phrase PG-13 when describing content policies for users under 18 years old.
At the same time, the company will also add a clear statement that MPA is not involved in building or evaluating Meta's content control system.
Previously, in October last year, Meta introduced content filters on Instagram for teenagers, inspired by the PG-13 film classification system. The goal is to help parents easily visualize the relevance of the content their children access on the platform.
However, the use of this term has faced reactions from the MPA. The US film industry representative organization believes that Meta's use of the PG-13 label may cause parents to misunderstand that the content censorship system on social networks is equivalent to the official film rating process.
MPA also emphasized that their film rating system is built on a rigorous evaluation process, with human participation and consensus, while Meta's filters are mainly based on automation algorithms. Therefore, direct comparisons between the two systems are considered to be seriously misleading.
Mr. Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of MPA, said that this agreement helps to clarify the boundaries between the two different mechanisms.
We welcome efforts to protect children from inappropriate content, but it is important that parents do not confuse the two systems operating in completely different contexts," said Charles Rivkin.
On Meta's side, the company said it will continue to maintain content control measures for teenage accounts, but will adjust the way it is conveyed to avoid misunderstanding.
Meta representatives emphasized that these policies are built on the criteria of being suitable for users aged 13 and over, combined with feedback from parents.
The MPA ranking system is voluntary, in which PG-13 is the recommended level that parents should consider when letting children under 13 years old watch content.
Meanwhile, Meta's system aims to limit sensitive content on digital platforms, but is not a censorship mechanism equivalent to cinema.
This agreement shows the increasing pressure on technology platforms in making content control transparent, especially when it involves young users.
At the same time, this is also a step to avoid legal risks related to trademark ownership and misleading information.
