Meta is rolling out AI technology to identify potential under-13 users on Facebook and Instagram to better enforce its rule against children having accounts.
The AI looks at photos and videos on the platforms, using visual details like bone structure and height to estimate age. Meta says this is not facial recognition. It also reviews profile content, such as birthday posts or references to school, to spot possible underage users.
When the algorithm flags a user as potentially under 13, the account is deactivated. The user is given a set period to verify their age using a government ID or Yoti’s facial age estimation tools before permanent deletion. The same verification is required if a user changes their age from under 18 to over 18.
Meta has introduced some of its AI age detection tools globally, while advanced features like visual analysis are only available in a limited number of countries. The company plans to roll out the complete system worldwide in the future.
The AI age detection system is already in use on Instagram in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Meta is expanding it to Brazil and 27 EU countries, and will introduce it to Facebook in the U.S. this month. Rollouts in the U.K. and EU are planned for June, with global availability on Instagram expected by the end of the year.
Meta began using AI last year to identify teenage users. The company says the system has placed “hundreds of millions” of teens into protective Teen Accounts, including cases where users tried to bypass restrictions by misrepresenting their age as adults.
The announcement comes days after a New Mexico jury found Meta liable for putting children at risk on its platforms by failing to protect them from predators. The court ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages for violating the state’s Unfair Practices Act.
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