Meta is stepping up its efforts to detect underage Instagram users by expanding its AI-powered age detection technology.
This technology, which went live in 2024, examines a range of signals to determine if a user is under 18, including engagement patterns and contextual indicators such as birthday wishes in direct messages.
Starting with a U.S. pilot rollout, Instagram will now take a step further by proactively overriding user-submitted birthdays if its AI detects that a child is using an account.
Teen accounts on Instagram have stricter safety settings; they are private by default, which limits interactions with strangers, and filter out mature or potentially harmful content. Last year, Meta automatically implemented the safety measures for all teen accounts. The latest update means that even if a user registers their account with an adult birthdate, AI can still identify them as a teenager and automatically apply the safer, age-appropriate settings.
Instagram admits the possibility of blunders. Users who are mistakenly flagged will be allowed to revert the changes manually. However, the platform prioritizes safety over precision to create a safer atmosphere for younger audiences.
This move comes as regulators and child safety activists increase their scrutiny. The European Union has opened an inquiry into Meta's management of youth safety on its platforms, while a U.S. state attorney general has filed a lawsuit in response to reports of predators targeting minors on Instagram.
Meta's shift also contributes to a broader industry debate. While Meta, Snap, and X have introduced platform-level changes, others, like Google, claim that app stores should also take responsibility for child safety. Tensions escalated after Utah passed legislation aimed at improving online safety for kids, with Google accusing Meta of seeking to shift the blame.
Meta wants to address long-standing concerns about child safety on the internet by using artificial intelligence.
However, as the line between proactive protection and overreach continues to blur, the industry will need to continue addressing the ethical and logistical challenges of age verification in a digital world.