Meta has announced the global expansion of its artificial intelligence-based age detection technology across Instagram, aimed at placing teenagers into restricted “Teen Accounts” even if they registered using an adult birth date.
The AI system analyzes behavioral signals, profile context, and visual indicators to estimate whether an account belongs to a user aged 13 to 17. Once flagged, accounts are automatically transitioned to Teen Account protections, which restrict interactions from strangers, limit exposure to sensitive content, and enforce daily screen-time boundaries.
Beyond Instagram, Meta is continuing the rollout of its age-estimation tools on Facebook and plans a worldwide launch on Threads later this year. In select markets like Australia, the company has integrated Apple’s age-range signal as an added data source.
Meanwhile, US parents will receive in-feed educational notifications outlining how age safeguards operate.
The global expansion follows mounting legal scrutiny and multi-billion-dollar state settlements in the US over allegations that Meta’s platforms contribute to social media addiction and mental health challenges among youth.
By deploying passive AI estimation, Meta aims to prevent teenagers from bypassing safety controls, though the success of the initiative relies heavily on the system’s ability to accurately differentiate adults from underage users without misclassifying accounts.
