Instagram, New Restrictions for Teenagers in Italy: Here's What Changes for Those Under 18

Instagram has announced the expansion to other countries of the rules for Teenager Accounts that have been active since October 2025 in the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada. These restrictions arrive in the rest of the world, including Italy. As a result of these rules, all users under 18 are automatically assigned to the 13+ setting and cannot deactivate it without explicit parental consent.

The reference model adopted by Meta is that of film ratings for movies suitable for those over 13: the idea is that teenagers see on Instagram content comparable to that of a film in that age group. In practice, this translates into a system that hides or does not recommend posts with vulgar language or related to drugs, as well as any other content that could encourage harmful behaviors. All of this adds to existing policies that exclude sexually explicit content, disturbing images, and the promotion of alcohol or tobacco.

Meta's official statement details how protections work on every area of the app. On the account front, teenagers will no longer be able to follow profiles that regularly post inappropriate content for their age group, nor see their posts or interact with comments: those who already followed them will automatically lose those interactions. The protections are bidirectional: these accounts will not be able to follow, send DMs, or comment on teen profiles either. In search, alongside existing blocks for terms related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, words like "alcohol" or "gore" are now added, with filters designed to also withstand typos.

Particularly relevant is the management of DMs: if someone sends a teenager a link to content that does not comply with the 13+ guidelines, the young person will not even be able to open it. Meta's AI experiences have also been updated, with models not generating responses that would be out of place in a film for those over 13.

For parents looking for even stricter controls, Meta introduces the new Limited Content setting: it filters a broader range of content compared to the default 13+ and, most importantly, completely removes the ability to see, leave, or receive comments under posts. A measure that responds to those who already consider the 13+ rating too permissive for their child.

It is worth noting that Meta has recently revised its communication on the topic of teenagers: an agreement with the Motion Picture Association (MPA), reported by Variety and Deadline, led the company to limit the use of the registered trademark "PG-13" in official communications. Today's announcement indeed refers to "13+ content ratings" without explicitly mentioning the American film industry's classification.