Meta using AI to catch teens lying about their age on Instagram

Meta is deploying artificial intelligence tools to identify teens on Instagram who may have lied about their age to bypass platform safeguards. The company announced on Monday that suspected underage users will now be automatically placed into restricted “Teen Accounts” even if their account lists them as adults.

Launched last year, Teen Accounts offer a controlled experience tailored for users under 16, limiting who can interact with them and restricting certain types of content. Meta says the shift is designed to protect younger users and promote safe online behaviour.

“When Meta finds an account that it suspects belongs to a teen, the platform will enroll them into a restricted Teen Account, even if the account lists an adult birthday,” the company stated in a blog post.

The company has been using AI for age estimation for some time, but this move confirms it is now actively using those insights to enforce its youth safety rules. Techniques include analysing contextual clues, such as birthday wishes or tip-offs from other users, and comparing them with the stated age.

Meta says the AI tools are being tuned for accuracy, but acknowledges potential errors. Users will have the option to contest the AI’s decision and adjust their settings if misclassified.

“The digital world continues to evolve and we have to evolve with it,” Meta wrote. “That’s why it’s important that we work together with parents to make sure as many teens as possible have the protective settings that come with Teen Accounts.”

To aid in that effort, Meta will begin notifying parents directly, offering guidance on how to talk to teens about providing accurate age information online. Parents are also encouraged to verify their child’s listed birthday on Instagram.

The move comes just two weeks after Meta extended Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger. According to the company, over 54 million teens globally are currently enrolled in Teen Accounts, with 97% of users aged 13 to 15 remaining in those protected settings.

The update is the latest in a series of safety pushes by Meta amid increased global scrutiny of social media platforms’ responsibility toward child and teen users.