Meta employs AI to catch teens misrepresenting their ages on Instagram

In recent months, Meta Platforms has announced initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety of teenage users on Instagram, spurred by growing concerns over the mental health impacts of social media on younger audiences. To address the issue, Meta is utilizing artificial intelligence to identify user accounts that may be misrepresenting their age, specifically focusing on those that declare adult birthdays. This move follows earlier efforts to create designated teen accounts that come with additional safeguards and restrictions for users aged 13 to 17. The AI aims to analyze various signals, including the types of content users engage with and the overall pattern of their interactions on the platform, to ascertain whether an account truly belongs to a teenager. By closely monitoring these behavioral indicators, Meta seeks to automatically classify accounts suspected to belong to teens, even if users entered incorrect birth dates during account creation. If a user is determined to be misrepresenting their age, their account will be switched to a teen account, where privacy settings are enforced and content is restricted to minimize exposure to potential harm. Features for teen accounts include private settings by default, restrictions on receiving private messages, and limits on certain content deemed sensitive. Additionally, notifications are sent to teens who exceed 60 minutes of app usage, promoting a healthier balance between online and offline activities. These initiatives are part of a broader corporate strategy as social media platforms face mounting scrutiny around their impact on youth, mental health, and the serious implications of excessive screen time and violent or otherwise harmful content available on these networks. As part of these measures, the company is also emphasizing the role of parental awareness and involvement. Meta announces that it will notify parents of teenage users, providing resources to facilitate discussions about the importance of accurately representing one’s age online. The ongoing commitment to improve user safety and promote responsible social media use reflects Meta's acknowledgment of the unique vulnerabilities of younger users and its effort to adhere to emerging regulations concerning age verification in the social media landscape.