THE CRUNCH
Meta is expanding the AI age estimation technology it uses on Instagram to users worldwide, after launching it in the US, EU and Brazil last year. The system looks for signals suggesting a user is under 18, and Meta says it will automatically place "millions more teens" into Teen Account protections even if they signed up with a fake adult birthday.
The detection tools examine the profiles and content a user interacts with, birthday messages they receive, and what Meta describes as "general themes and visual cues" from uploaded photos and videos, including height and bone structure. Users believed to be under 13, the minimum age for a Meta social account, are removed, while those aged 13 to 17 are moved into Teen Accounts.
Teen Accounts are private by default, limit the content teens can see and block strangers from sending them direct messages. Users aged 16 or younger cannot adjust these settings without a parent's or guardian's permission, and guardians can also set time limits and monitor usage. In Australia, Meta says it has started using Apple's age-range signal as an additional detection method.
The global expansion follows an August settlement in which Meta agreed to pay $17.1 billion and bolster its age assurance practices while placing heavier restrictions on teen users. Meta has not said whether automatic age checks on Facebook, which rolled out to US accounts in May, will extend to other regions.