Meta deploys AI to identify underage users on its platforms

On Tuesday, Meta announced it will use AI to scan photos and videos for visual clues to identify if a user is under 13. The system, which is currently operating in select countries, analyzes physical characteristics to estimate age. Meta stated that the technology is not facial recognition. Instead, the company explained, “Our AI looks at general themes and visual cues, for example height or bone structure, to estimate someone’s general age; it does not identify the specific person in the image. By combining these visual insights with our analysis of text and interactions, we can significantly increase the number of underage accounts we identify and remove.” To support this, the company’s broader efforts include using AI to analyze profiles for contextual clues across posts, comments, bios, and captions. If Meta determines that a person may be underage, it will deactivate their account. To prevent permanent deletion, the user must then prove their age through the company’s verification process.

The rollout of these automated tools comes amid severe legal pressure on the company regarding child safety. Recently, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The legal body penalized the company for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and putting children at risk. Following the verdict, Meta was also ordered to implement fundamental changes to its platforms.

Alongside the AI age-detection tools, Meta is expanding its Teen Accounts—defined as Instagram account settings with stricter safeguards for younger users—to 27 countries in the EU and Brazil. These accounts automatically apply stricter settings, such as restricting direct messages to established connections, hiding harmful comments, and defaulting accounts to private. Meta also plans to expand this technology to Facebook in the U.S. for the first time, followed by a rollout in the U.K. and EU in June. Additionally, the company plans to expand its AI age-detection technology to more parts of its apps, including Instagram Live and Facebook Groups.

Why it matters

Meta’s deployment of AI-based age verification tools highlights how the company is turning to automated systems to police its user base under intense regulatory scrutiny. As legal pressures mount, the success of these tools will likely dictate how social platforms manage youth safety compliance in these regions.