Meta is expanding its AI-powered age detection technology worldwide in a bid to automatically place more teenagers into protected online experiences, even if they register accounts using an adult date of birth.
Meta is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its platforms as it seeks to identify teenagers who may have lied about their age when creating social media accounts.
The technology giant said its Teen Accounts system, which is already available on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, is designed to give younger users additional safeguards by restricting who can contact them, the content they can view and the amount of time they spend on the apps.
However, Meta acknowledged that ensuring the protections reach all teenagers remains a challenge because some users enter an adult birthday when signing up.
The company said: “We use AI technology to find people we suspect to be teens, even if they use an adult birthday, and place them in Teen Account protections. Since first introducing this technology, we’ve been placing more teens in age-appropriate protections and are encouraged by the results. Based on that success, today we’re expanding this technology globally.”
Meta believes the wider rollout will help ensure more young people are automatically placed into accounts designed for their age group.
The social media giant added: “As a result, millions more teens across the world who use Instagram will receive these built-in protections, even if they’ve misrepresented their age.”
The move forms part of the company’s broader efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children and teenagers. Meta said it plans to continue introducing the technology on Facebook and intends to launch similar systems globally on Threads later this year.
The company also revealed it has started using Apple’s age-range signal in Australia to help determine whether users are old enough to access particular apps.
Meta argued that app stores should play a bigger role in age verification and parental consent.
It said: “We’ve long supported legislation requiring age verification and obtaining parental consent on the app store. One verified signal from people’s devices, shared consistently with all apps, is far more effective and privacy-preserving than asking every platform to verify age individually.”
Meta also claimed existing online safety laws often fail to provide clear guidance for technology companies trying to determine a user’s age.
The company said: “Over the years, countries around the world have rapidly introduced new laws governing how to keep teens safe online. While well-intentioned, many of these laws don’t explain how technology companies should determine a user’s age.”
As part of a recent agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general across the United States, Meta said it is investing in stronger systems to identify users who may be under 13, as well as improving its ability to detect teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
The company added that while it is enhancing its own safeguards, it wants rival platforms to follow suit, calling on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar age-assurance measures to provide more consistent protections for young users online.
Meta to use AI to identify teenagers who lie about their age online
