Meta expands AI age-checking tools globally to identify teen users
Meta has launched a global AI system to detect teen users on its platforms, a move driven by legal settlements and regulatory pressure but met with skepticism from privacy experts.
By Larissa Bell ·
Meta Platforms has begun deploying artificial intelligence powered age estimation technology across its social media networks. The move aims to identify teenage users who registered with adult birth dates, thereby subjecting them to stricter safety controls. The company announced the global rollout on Monday, stating that millions more young people will be moved into its specialized Teen Accounts. This initiative comes amid growing scrutiny regarding the platforms' ability to protect minors online.
Teen Accounts offer a suite of enhanced protections designed to create a safer digital environment. These include default privacy settings, limited content types, and restrictions on direct messages from strangers. Additionally, parents are granted supervisory capabilities over these accounts. Meta stated that the new system is currently active on Instagram worldwide. The company plans to extend the tool to Facebook and implement a similar mechanism on Threads before the end of the year. Prior to this global expansion, the technology had already been tested in more than 20 countries.
The AI system analyzes accounts to determine if a user is likely a teenager, regardless of the birth date provided during sign-up. It scans for contextual clues such as mentions of school grades or birthday celebrations. The technology also examines visual cues in photos and videos, although Meta clarifies that it does not use facial recognition. If an account is flagged, it is switched to a Teen Account on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. These accounts feature time limits, content filters, and messaging restrictions. In countries with legal age bans, flagged accounts may be closed entirely.
Specific regional measures are also being implemented. In the United States, users under 18 will face a daily usage cap of two hours and a curfew from midnight to 6 am. In Australia, Meta is utilizing an Apple feature that verifies a user's age range during initial phone setup. The company supports legislation requiring app stores to handle age verification, arguing this is more effective than having individual developers manage the process. Meta has also urged its competitors to adopt similar verification methods.
The timing of this rollout is closely linked to recent legal pressures. Meta referenced a significant lawsuit filed by 29 US states and supported by 52 attorneys general. The suit alleged that the company designed its platforms to addict children and collect data while failing to properly verify user ages. This case was settled out of court in August, with Meta agreeing to pay up to 18 billion dollars and implement substantial changes, including time limits and curfews for minors.
Meta has faced other legal challenges this year regarding its impact on children. In March, a New Mexico court ordered the company to pay 375 million dollars after finding it had been misleading about platform safety for minors. Around the same time, Meta and Google lost a landmark case in Los Angeles involving a woman who claimed addiction to Instagram and YouTube caused mental health issues. Governments worldwide, including in the UK, Indonesia, Australia, and Turkiye, have increasingly intervened with social media bans for younger users.
Experts remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the new measures. Sonia Livingstone, a professor at the London School of Economics, noted a lack of clear evidence that the system prevents underage users from accessing the platforms. She highlighted privacy risks, stating that the goal of age assurance is to identify children, which poses risks to all users. Without independent audits, she argued it is difficult to trust the company with personal data.
Evidence from Australia suggests the challenges of enforcement. Although the country banned under-16s from social media in December, the regulator eSafety found that over 80 percent of preteens and young teens were still using the platforms half a year later. While Meta shut down 462,000 Instagram accounts in compliance, eSafety determined that more than 69 percent of underage users retained access. This raises concerns that teenagers may simply migrate to other platforms with similar risks.
The financial stakes of the US settlement include a conditional payment of approximately 5 billion dollars, which depends on competitors like TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat agreeing to similar measures. Regulatory pressure is also building in Europe. On Friday, EU regulators threatened to fine ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, 6 percent of its global annual revenue. EU tech commissioner Henna Virkunnen criticized the platform for leading users into addictive loops and called for stronger efforts to protect user wellbeing, particularly for minors.
