Meta is expanding how it uses AI to detect teens on Instagram — and, in some cases, will begin overriding account settings, The Verge reported.
Instagram announced it was using AI for age detection in 2024: the system looked for signals that users were under 18 years old, like if messages from friends say “happy 16th birthday,” for example. Meta also says it uses engagement data — people in the same age group often interact with content they see in similar ways.
Teen accounts on Instagram are subject to more restrictive settings: by default, teen accounts are private, strangers aren’t able to send them messages, and Instagram limits with kind of content teens see. Last year, Instagram changed the settings for all teens on the platform so that safety features were automatically enabled.
The company now says it will use AI to proactively look for teen account that have an adult birthday, and change settings for users it suspects are kids. In a blog post, Instagram says it will begin testing the feature today in the US.
If it detects that users are actually a child but the account says otherwise, Instagram will automatically place it under the more restrictive teen settings. Instagram acknowledges the possibility that the system will make errors — the company says users will have ability to change their settings back.
Meta reported: We launched Instagram Teen Accounts last year to support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place. This reimagined experience has built-in protections that limit who can contact teens, the content they see and the time they spend online.
Teens are automatically placed in these protective settings, and teens under 16 need parental or guardian approval to make changes. Now, we’re announcing additional steps we’re taking to ensure as many teens as possible benefit from these new protections.
We’ve enrolled at least 54 million teens in the Teen Accounts globally so far, it 97% of teens ages 13-15 electing to remain in these protections, and we recently expanded the Teen Account experience to Facebook and Messenger.
Parents and teens alike are telling us that they are happy with this new, reimagined experience. And although 90% of parents surveyed say the new Teen account protections are helpful in supporting heir teens on Instagram, we’re continuing to listen to parents who are concerned about how overwhelming the internet can be when it comes to making sure teens have age-appropriate experiences.
Engadget reported: Meta says it’s doing more to make sure as many of its younger users as possible are using the teen accounts that it has rolled out for Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
Starting today, it’s testing artificial intelligence tech in the US to detect whether a person is a teen – even if they’ve lied about their birthday to make it seem like they’re an adult – and then move them to a teen account.
The company says it has taken steps to make sure that the age-detection tech is accurate, but in case it makes a mistake, users that the AI suspects of being a teen have the option to change their settings and stick with an adult account.