Meta Rolls Out AI Age Detection Tool to Enforce Under-13 Rules

Meta said Tuesday it is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to detect underage users, including a new system that analyzes photos and videos for visual signals to estimate whether someone is under 13 and should be removed from Facebook or Instagram. The feature is part of a broader push to strengthen age enforcement and ensure younger users are placed into age-appropriate experiences across its apps.

The company’s system combines visual analysis with existing methods that scan profiles for contextual indicators, such as references to school grades or birthday celebrations. These signals are drawn from posts, comments, bios, and captions to assess whether an account likely belongs to a minor. If flagged, the account can be deactivated, and the user must complete an age verification process to avoid deletion.

Meta emphasized that the visual system does not rely on identity matching. “We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition,” the company said. “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.” The company added that combining these signals allows it to “significantly increase the number of underage accounts we identify and remove.”

The visual detection feature is currently active in select countries, with plans to expand availability over time. It builds on a broader set of enforcement tools that Meta has developed over several years, including systems that identify users who may have misrepresented their age and measures designed to prevent repeat account creation.

Alongside enforcement changes, Meta is extending its “Teen Accounts” system, which automatically applies stricter safeguards to younger users. The company said it is rolling out these protections to 27 countries in the European Union and Brazil on Instagram, while also bringing the system to Facebook in the United States for the first time, with further expansion planned for the U.K. and EU.

These teen accounts limit who can contact users, restrict exposure to harmful content, and default profiles to private settings. Meta said the goal is to ensure that more users who are likely under 18 are placed into these controlled environments, even if they initially enter an incorrect birthdate.

The updates come as the company faces ongoing scrutiny over child safety. In recent weeks, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties tied to claims it misled users about platform safety and failed to adequately protect children, adding pressure for more aggressive enforcement measures.

By combining automated detection with expanded account restrictions, Meta is increasing its reliance on AI systems to manage age verification at scale, while continuing to widen the reach of its existing safety frameworks.

This analysis is based on reporting from TechCrunch.

Image courtesy of Meta.

This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.