The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta Platforms over the company’s recent use of PG-13 branded content filters on Instagram, intended to protect users under 18.

The MPA claims Meta’s use of the PG-13 movie rating system—a registered certification mark—is “literally false and highly misleading,” asserting that Instagram’s automated content moderation system does not follow the same curated, industry-standard process used for film ratings.

In late October, Meta announced that it would implement PG-13 inspired filters to limit sensitive content for teenage users. However, the MPA contends that the association had no involvement in the decision and that using the rating “without authorization” could weaken public trust in the decades-old movie classification system.

The letter, addressed to Meta’s Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead and dated October 28, demands that Meta remove any reference to PG-13 in connection with its Instagram filters and AI safety features, and refrain from using the classification in future.

A Meta spokesperson responded by saying the company intends to collaborate with the MPA and clarified that it never claimed any formal partnership. The move was made, Meta said, in an effort to meet growing parental concerns about youth safety on its platforms.

Meta has been under mounting pressure from advocacy groups and U.S. regulators over its handling of harmful content and AI interactions involving minors. The company recently introduced additional safety controls for AI chat features and allowed parents to disable private messaging between teens and AI-powered avatars.