Meta Cracks Down on Underage Users with AI-Powered Visual Clues

Meta is taking steps to prevent underage users from accessing its platforms, using AI-powered visual clues to detect and remove accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta announced on Tuesday that it's expanding its technology that automatically places teens into stricter 'Teen Accounts' on Instagram, which includes additional safeguards such as receiving DMs only from people they follow or are already connected to, hiding harmful comments, and setting accounts to private by default. This feature is now available in 27 countries in the EU and Brazil, and will also be rolled out to Facebook in the U.S. for the first time, followed by the U.K. and EU in June.

The AI-powered visual clues will analyze photos and videos to identify visual cues such as a person's height or bone structure to estimate their age. This technology is now operating in select countries, but Meta says it's working towards a broader rollout. The company plans to expand this technology to more parts of its apps, including Instagram Live and Facebook Groups, in the future.

If Meta determines that a person may be underage, it will deactivate their account, and the user will need to prove their age using the company's age verification process in order to prevent their account from being deleted.

This move comes weeks after a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and putting children at risk. The company was also ordered to implement fundamental changes to its platforms.

Meta's efforts to keep kids under 13 off its platforms include using AI to analyze entire profiles for contextual clues, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades. The company looks for these signals across different formats, such as posts, comments, bios, captions, and more.

• The announcement comes as Meta faces numerous lawsuits over child safety.

• The company is also expanding its technology that automatically places teens into stricter 'Teen Accounts' on Instagram to 27 countries in the EU and Brazil.

• Meta plans to expand this technology to more parts of its apps, including Instagram Live and Facebook Groups, in the future.

• If Meta determines that a person may be underage, it will deactivate their account, and the user will need to prove their age using the company's age verification process in order to prevent their account from being deleted.

"We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition," Meta explained in its blog post. "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."

This is a crucial step towards ensuring a safer online experience for children, and it's essential for Meta to continue investing in technology that protects its youngest users. As the company continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape, it's clear that it's committed to prioritizing the well-being of its users.

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Meta's efforts to keep kids under 13 off its platforms are a crucial step towards ensuring a safer online experience for children. As the company continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape, it's clear that it's committed to prioritizing the well-being of its users.