Meta’s AI will scan height and bone structure to detect under-13 users
Meta is deploying AI that scans photos and videos for physical cues to assess whether a user is under 13 on Instagram and Facebook.
Teen Account on Instagram (Source: Meta)
“We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition. 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,” Meta wrote in a blog post.
“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.”
The company will use AI to analyze entire user profiles for contextual clues, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades, across posts, comments, bios, and captions to determine whether an account likely belongs to someone underage. It plans to expand this approach to more parts of its apps, including Instagram Reels, Instagram Live, and Facebook Groups.
If an account is determined to be underage, it will be deactivated, and the account holder will need to provide proof of age through an age verification process to prevent deletion.
The visual analysis system is currently available in a limited number of countries, with plans to expand it further.
“For over a decade, we’ve built tools, features, and resources to help teens have safe, age-appropriate experiences on our apps. This includes launching Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger with built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see,” the company said.
Children are finding creative ways to get around age verification systems. According to Internet Matters, 46% of children believe age checks are easy to bypass, while only 17% say it is difficult. Methods include entering a different birthday, using someone else’s ID, and even drawing facial hair on themselves to trick systems into registering them as older.
Last week, the European Commission said its preliminary investigation found that Meta Platforms breached the Digital Services Act because the minimum age requirement of 13 is not adequately enforced on Instagram and Facebook.
“While we’re investing heavily in our own age assurance technology, we know that no single company can solve this challenge alone. We believe legislation should require app stores to verify age and provide apps and developers with this information so that they can provide age-appropriate experiences, like Teen Accounts,” Meta concluded.