Meta is enhancing its age-verification system on Instagram and Facebook with a new AI technology that examines images and videos for specific visual cues, like height and bone structure, to identify and eliminate accounts belonging to users under 13. This change comes in response to a significant number of children successfully circumventing access restrictions using simple tricks, like drawing on a mustache to appear older.
This AI-driven approach is part of a broader strategy aimed at improving the company’s age-verification protocols by analyzing various indicators such as posts, comments, and bios, particularly looking for hints associated with school years or birthdays, which could reveal a user’s actual age. Meta clarified that this system does not employ facial recognition to pinpoint identities but rather combines visual analysis with textual data to enhance the identification process of underage users.
If an account is suspected of belonging to a child under 13, it will be temporarily suspended. Users will then need to verify their age through prescribed methods to regain access, or their accounts will be permanently deleted. Furthermore, Meta plans to introduce a system to classify users aged 13 to 15 into teen accounts, which come with built-in content restrictions and parental controls to create a safer online environment.
Initially rolled out in 2024 for certain regions, the age-verification system is now being expanded to include Instagram users in Brazil and across 27 EU nations, alongside its application for Facebook users in the US, with plans for further expansion into the EU and UK soon.
These adjustments are seen as a direct response to criticisms regarding Meta’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, which alleged shortcomings in effectively preventing children under 13 from accessing its platforms. A survey from Internet Matters highlighted alarming statistics, indicating that one-third of children had successfully bypassed age restrictions. The findings underscore the ingenuity children often employ, from using fake birth dates to creative means like applying make-up to alter their appearance in verification systems.
Meta acknowledges that providing efficient age verification across digital spaces is a complex challenge that cannot be solved by a single company alone. The firm is advocating for legislation that would mandate app stores to verify user ages and establish parental consent systems, which would allow apps to utilize this verified age information, fostering a more secure and reliable environment for minors online.
