Meta expands Instagram AI to identify teens globally for safer accounts

Meta is expanding its AI-powered age estimation technology on Instagram globally to better identify teenagers, even if they provide an adult birthday, TechCrunch reported. This technology aims to place more users under Teen Account protections, which include privacy by default, limiting direct messages to known contacts, and hiding harmful comments.

According to The Verge, the AI analyzes various profile elements such as posts, comments, bios, captions, and visual cues like height or bone structure to estimate age. The system has already been deployed in the US, EU, and Brazil, and now will cover millions more users worldwide.

Meta's Teen Accounts offer a more age-appropriate experience by restricting content visibility and communication options. Parents and guardians can supervise these accounts to set time limits and monitor usage, with certain settings requiring parental approval for users aged 16 or younger, The Verge noted.

The expansion follows Meta's settlements with nearly every U.S. state and territory, worth up to $18 billion, to address lawsuits claiming its platforms harm teens. As part of these agreements, Meta committed to improving teen identification methods across its apps, including plans to roll out similar AI technology on Facebook and Threads, TechCrunch reported.

Meta also started using Apple's age-range signals in Australia as an additional way to detect underage users, according to The Verge. The company stated it will continue investing in stronger technology to ensure teens have age-appropriate experiences on its platforms.