Meta is expanding AI age estimation on Instagram worldwide, so accounts it suspects belong to teenagers are moved into its Teen Account protections even if the user entered an adult birthday. The company announced the change on 9 November. The rollout is continuing on Facebook, and Threads is due to follow later this year.
Teen Accounts are private by default, limit direct messages to people the teen already follows or is connected to, and hide harmful comments. Meta says the system looks for clues such as birthday posts or mentions of a school year; TechCrunch reports it also weighs visual cues in photos and videos. Meta says “millions more teens” will get the protections but gives no figures.
The expansion builds on Meta’s agreement with 52 US attorneys general, under which it committed to better identify users aged 13 to 17 and children under 13. In Australia, Meta has also started using Apple’s age-range signal, which parents can set up on a teen’s device.
Why it matters: AI is increasingly deciding who is treated as a child online. Meta’s announcement does not explain how adults who are wrongly flagged can appeal, and it has not published accuracy figures for the system.