Meta Platforms is expanding its AI-powered age-estimation technology to identify Instagram users suspected of being teenagers, even if they registered with an adult birthdate, and automatically apply stricter safety settings to their accounts.
Meta said in a Nov. 9 statement that the expansion will mean millions more teenagers worldwide will receive Teen Account protections, offering built-in safeguards that automatically limit the content they see, time spent on the app, and who can contact them.
Starting this month, U.S. parents on Instagram will receive a notification explaining how Meta will apply the age-appropriate protections for teens and how they can help ensure that their teenage child is logged in with the correct age, Meta said.
Meta uses AI and other signals to estimate a user’s age, including information from profiles, comments, posts, captions, and bios, such as references to school grades or birthdays, Larry Magid, CEO of nonprofit ConnectSafely, wrote in a Nov. 6 post on Meta’s website.
The company can also analyze photo and video visual patterns to determine a person’s age.
