Meta is expanding its automated age-estimation technology globally starting this month, a move following billion-dollar legal settlements and criticism regarding teen safety. The company announced Monday that it will use AI to identify users suspected of being teenagers, even if they have provided an adult birthday during account setup. These users will be placed into "Teen Account protections," which include increased restrictions on content, contacts, and time spent on the platform.
The AI technology analyzes user behavior and posts to estimate age. It has previously been tested in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. While parents can manually set up restricted accounts for children, the new algorithm can automatically reclassify accounts that used false birthdays to bypass age requirements. Meta stated, "Since first introducing this technology, we’ve been placing more teens in age-appropriate protections and are encouraged by the results."
Under the new protections, teenagers face a two-hour daily usage limit and receive reminders to leave the app after 60 minutes of continuous activity. The platform will also implement a nighttime curfew from midnight to 6 a.m., mute notifications during school hours between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., and block "social comparison" features such as likes and reactions. Additionally, the company will restrict access to cosmetic procedure filters that alter a user's appearance.
The expansion follows significant legal pressure, including an August settlement in the United States where Meta agreed to pay $18bn to various states. Those lawsuits alleged that Meta's platforms encourage addictive behavior and fail to adequately safeguard against harmful content. Meta plans to expand the age estimation algorithm to Facebook and Threads later this year.
While Meta moves toward stricter enforcement, legal challenges to social media regulation continue elsewhere. In Australia, groups including the Digital Freedom Project and Reddit have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of a recent law that bans anyone under 16 from using social media platforms.
