The system analyzes visual cues such as height and bone structure to estimate age, and is currently operating in select countries
INA FASSBENDER / Getty Images
Artificial intelligence capable of estimating a person's age from photos and videos — drawing on physical indicators such as height and bone structure — is now being deployed by Meta $META on Facebook and Instagram, the company announced, with the goal of rooting out accounts held by children younger than 13.
Meta was explicit that the technology does not constitute facial recognition — the AI draws no conclusions about who a person is, only approximately how old they might be based on what it observes in an image. Layering the new visual tool on top of existing text and behavioral signals should meaningfully expand the company's ability to catch underage accounts, Meta said.
Separately, text-based signals have long been part of Meta's approach: the company sweeps through posts, bios, comments, and captions looking for contextual hints — a mention of a school grade, a birthday post — that might indicate a user is a child. The company said it plans to extend that technology to Instagram Reels, Instagram Live, and Facebook Groups. Any account the system identifies as potentially belonging to a minor is suspended immediately; reactivation requires the user to pass Meta's age verification process, and accounts whose holders cannot do so are permanently removed.
Geographic availability of the visual analysis feature remains limited for now, though Meta has indicated it intends to expand access over time. The company is also simplifying its in-app reporting process so users can more easily flag underage accounts, and supplementing human review teams with AI models that apply consistent criteria to each report.
Separately, Meta said it is expanding the technology it uses to place users it suspects are between 13 and 17 into "Teen Accounts" — a stricter account experience that limits who can send direct messages, hides certain comments, and sets accounts to private by default. On Instagram, the Teen Accounts framework — previously available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K. — will now reach users in Brazil and across 27 E.U. member states. Meta is also bringing it to Facebook in the U.S. for the first time, with the U.K. and E.U. to follow in June.
The announcements come as Meta faces scrutiny from multiple regulators over child safety. Preliminary findings published by the European Commission, as reported by Engadget, have raised the possibility that Meta's existing measures fall short of what the Digital Services Act requires when it comes to excluding under-13s from its platforms. According to TechCrunch, a New Mexico jury recently handed down a $375 million civil penalty against Meta, finding that the company had deceived the public about how safe its platforms are for children.
Meta said it supports legislation that would require app stores to verify user ages and share that information with developers, an approach it said is backed by 88% of U.S. parents.
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