Motion Picture Trade Group Pans Instagram’s Use of “PG-13” with Cease and Desist

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has formally objected to Meta Platforms’ use of the term “PG-13” in describing Instagram’s teen content moderation system, arguing that the reference misinterprets the association’s long-standing film rating standards.  

In the cease-and-desist letter, the MPA challenged Meta’s claim that its teen content policies would be “guided by PG-13 movie standards,” calling the assertion “literally false and highly misleading.”  

Signed by Finnegan partner Naresh Kilaru, the letter emphasized that the MPA’s rating system, which has assigned the G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 ratings since 1968, is based on evaluations by a board of American parents with children aged 5 to 15, a process the MPA argues is fundamentally different from Meta’s reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) and automated technologies.  

“The MPA has worked for decades to earn the public’s trust in its rating system. Any dissatisfaction with Meta’s automated classification will inevitably cause the public to question the integrity of the MPA’s rating system,” said Naresh.  

Meta responded by asserting that it never claimed its platform was officially rated or certified by the MPA. Instead, the company said its use of “PG-13” was intended as a familiar reference point for parents and qualifies as nominative fair use. Meta stated that its content moderation protocols were reviewed against public PG-13 standards and described its communication as “factually accurate.”  

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