On November 9, Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giants such as Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, announced an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) age estimation technology. This development aims to identify and include more teenage users under its “teen accounts” protection mechanism on a global scale. The change will affect millions of accounts across its platforms.
The social media powerhouse plans to utilize AI technology to accurately identify accounts registered by teenagers, even if users have entered their birth dates to suggest that they are adults. This initiative is part of Meta’s ongoing commitment to enhance safety for younger users.
According to Meta, the technology has proven effective, prompting the decision to implement it worldwide. The company anticipates that millions of teenagers will benefit from this new protective measure.
In an announcement published on its official website, Meta stated, “For over a decade, we have collaborated with leading experts to develop tools and resources that help teenagers and their families achieve a safe and positive experience suitable for their age on our apps.”
Meta highlighted that the “teen account” settings on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger provide a range of built-in protective measures that are specifically designed for younger users.
These teen accounts come with multiple safeguards, such as restrictions on who can contact teenagers, limitations on visible content, and controls over usage time. For instance, teens will only be able to receive private messages from people they follow or those already in their contacts. Harmful comments will be hidden, and accounts will default to private settings.
The AI age estimation tool developed by Meta analyzes various aspects of user profiles to extract clues that suggest a user’s age. It searches for indicators such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades. Additionally, it examines different types of content across platforms, including posts, comments, user bios, and captions.
Moreover, the new AI technology will also look for appearance-related clues in photos and videos, such as height or bone structure, to better assess a user’s age.
Meta has announced that, starting this month, parents in the United States will begin receiving notifications from Instagram detailing how the platform incorporates suitable age protections for teenagers and how they can help ensure their children’s age information is accurate.
In Australia, Meta has already implemented age-range signals from Apple as an auxiliary method to determine user age. When parents set up their children’s mobile devices, they can opt for the app store to verify the age range of the user. Consequently, each time the child downloads an app, Apple will relay this information to developers.
Recently, Meta has been dealing with multiple lawsuits, alleging that its platforms harm young users. In August, the company reached a settlement with nearly all U.S. states and territories, with the amount potentially reaching up to $18 billion, to resolve a lawsuit brought by state attorneys general. As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to improve the identification methods for teenage users and children under the age of 13.
In October, Meta settled a lawsuit in Los Angeles with a teenage plaintiff. This case focused on whether the designs of Instagram and Facebook are addictive and contribute to mental health issues and eating disorders.
The company’s proactive steps in refining its protective measures for younger users come amid growing scrutiny and concern regarding the impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Through the implementation of advanced AI technology and collaboration with experts, Meta seeks to foster safer online environments for its younger demographic while navigating the complexities of legal challenges.