Meta is expanding AI-powered age detection tools across Instagram and Facebook to identify teenagers who may have entered false birth dates and automatically place them under age-appropriate protections.
Meta is introducing new artificial intelligence tools designed to estimate the age of Instagram users by analyzing how they use the platform. If the technology determines that an account may belong to someone under 18, the company may place it under the protections of its Teen Accounts system, even if the user registered with a false date of birth.
The global rollout comes as Meta faces growing scrutiny over its efforts to protect children online, following a major court case this summer in which the company was accused of harming the well-being of young users and was required to make significant changes.
Meta has pointed to its Teen Accounts as one of its main responses to these concerns. The accounts provide additional protections for users under 18, including restrictions on who can contact them, the content they can view, and the amount of time they spend on the platforms. Until now, however, these safeguards have largely depended on teenagers or their parents providing an accurate date of birth.
Meta acknowledged that verifying users’ ages remains an industry-wide challenge, noting that some teenagers misrepresent their age online to access services and features intended for adults.
The company said initial testing of its new AI technology was encouraging, showing that more teenagers were being identified and placed under age-appropriate protections. Based on those results, Meta is now expanding the system worldwide.
The technology will initially be introduced on Instagram and is also being rolled out on Facebook. Similar tools are expected to arrive on Threads later this year.
Meta confirmed that the changes follow agreements reached in connection with the recent court case. The company is also urging competitors, including TikTok and YouTube, to adopt similar age-detection measures.
In Australia, Meta is additionally using a recent Apple update that allows parents to establish an age range for their children. Apps can request this information from Apple to determine whether users should receive age-appropriate experiences.
However, Meta emphasized that participation in Apple’s system is voluntary, warning that teenagers could consequently receive different levels of protection across the apps they use.
The company is calling for a standardized, verified age signal that could be shared across platforms, rather than requiring every app to develop its own age-verification system.
Meta also criticized age-verification laws recently introduced in several countries, particularly Australia, arguing that regulations differ significantly and often provide unclear instructions on how technology companies should determine users’ ages.
According to the company, some laws require invasive age checks for everyone, while others provide little guidance, leaving platforms to find ways to verify age without unnecessarily collecting sensitive personal information, such as government identification documents.
Meta described its new technology as an effort to establish a stronger standard for age assurance. However, it warned that teenagers will continue to receive inconsistent protections online unless other technology companies adopt comparable measures.
