Meta expands Instagram AI age detection technology globally

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 9 Nov, 15:49 · Archive

Meta is rolling out AI technology worldwide to identify teenagers who misrepresent their age on Instagram and place them under age-appropriate protections.

Meta is globally expanding its AI age estimation technology on Instagram to identify teenagers who have misrepresented their age and place them under Teen Account protections. The system will automatically affect 'millions more teens', according to Meta's announcement, following initial launches in the US, EU and Brazil last year.

The AI technology analyzes profiles for signals suggesting a user is under 18, including contextual clues like birthday celebrations, school grade mentions, and visual cues from photos and videos such as height or bone structure. It flags users across posts, comments, bios and captions. Teen Accounts place users aged 13 to 17 into a more restrictive experience by default, making accounts private, limiting harmful content, and preventing strangers from sending direct messages. Meta says it is also using Apple's age-range signal as an additional detection method in Australia.

Parents in the US will receive notifications next month explaining the age estimation process. Teen Account settings cannot be changed by users 16 or younger without parental permission. This expansion follows Meta's August settlement worth up to $18 billion with US states and territories, in which the company agreed to improve how it identifies teenagers and children under 13. Meta is rolling out similar technology on Facebook and plans to launch it on Threads later this year.

How it is being reported

• Meta is expanding AI age detection for Instagram teen accountsThe company will increase its use of the tech on Facebook and Threads too.Engadget · 9 Nov, 15:58
• Meta expands Instagram’s AI age-guessing tech globallyMeta says it will use its AI technology to look for clues about people it suspects to be teenagers — even if they use an adult birthday.TechCrunch · 9 Nov, 15:32
• Instagram’s AI age detection is expanding globallyMeta is globally expanding the age estimation technology it uses to find teenagers on Instagram who haven't correctly disclosed their age. The rollout will automatically place "millions more teens on Instagram into Teen Account protections," according to Meta's announcement, after launching the AI-powered age assurance updates in the US, EU, and Brazil last year. The […]The Verge · 9 Nov, 12:00

In this story: Meta · Instagram · Apple · Threads · Facebook · Australia

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