Meta rolls out automated age checks for teens globally

Social media giant Meta is expanding automated age-estimation technology globally starting this month following billion-dollar legal settlements and criticism that its platforms fail to protect teenagers from online harms. “We use AI technology to find people we suspect to be teens, even if they use an adult birthday, and place them in Teen Account protections,” the company said in an announcement on Monday.

“Since first introducing this technology, we’ve been placing more teens in age-appropriate protections and are encouraged by the results. Based on that success, today we’re expanding this technology globally.” Teen accounts have more restrictions and protections, limiting contacts, types of content and users’ time.

Teens often circumvent the restrictions by creating a fake birthday when they set up an account, raising concerns that minors could bypass parental controls and be exposed to harmful content. Parents in the United States who have set up Instagram for teenagers will receive notifications this month about the new measures.