Meta, the tech conglomerate behind Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, has unveiled a global rollout of its AI-powered age-detection technology aimed at better identifying underage users on its social media platforms. The tool, which commenced implementation on Instagram this week, is intended to protect teenagers by moving them into Teen Accounts with additional restrictions and safeguards.
On Monday, Meta announced that it had already deployed the AI system in over 20 countries prior to this global expansion. The technology identifies users who provided false birth dates during account creation, transitioning them to restricted Teen Accounts or removing them from the platform altogether. Meta plans to extend this age-detection tool to Facebook and Threads before year's end.
Meta's AI system evaluates an account holder's likelihood of being a teenager by examining contextual clues, such as birthday celebrations or school mentions, and visual cues in pictures and videos. Flagged accounts are then transferred into Teen Accounts, where time limits, content access restrictions, and messaging parameters are applied. In countries enforcing underage social media bans, the account may be deactivated entirely.
In the United States, Meta will impose specific restrictions for users below 18 years, limiting daily usage to two hours and imposing a nighttime curfew from midnight to 6 am. Meanwhile, in Australia, Meta has integrated an Apple feature that verifies user age range during phone setup and shares this information with downloaded apps, including Meta's platforms. The company supports legislation requiring app stores to verify users' ages, asserting it as a more efficient method than individual developers devising data collection methods for each application.
Meta's new policy is linked to the recent out-of-court settlement following a lawsuit brought by 29 US states and 52 attorneys general, who accused Meta of designing its platforms to addict children, collect their personal data, and failing to adequately verify user ages. The settlement requires Meta to pay up to $18 billion to plaintiffs and make significant platform changes to protect minors, including time limits, nighttime curfews, and restrictions on cosmetic filter usage.
Despite these measures, experts remain skeptical about the tool's ability to effectively shield children from online harm. The debate around social media's impact on young users continues as governments intervene with age restrictions in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Australia, and Turkey.