Meta uses AI to place millions of teens in age-appropriate Instagram accounts
Meta says it will expand its AI age-estimation technology worldwide to put more users it suspects are under 18 into Teen Account protections on Instagram, limiting who can contact them and what...
Meta says it is expanding an AI system globally that estimates users' ages so it can place millions more people it suspects are under 18 into "Teen Account" protections on Instagram.
Teen Accounts automatically limit who can contact the account, the content shown and in some cases how long a person can use the app. Meta says the technology helps when someone gives an adult birthday to access features meant for older users.
The company said the global roll-out follows tests that placed more teens into age-appropriate settings on Instagram, and that the same approach will come to Facebook and later to Threads. Meta also said it is using an Apple age-range signal in Australia as an additional method to check age.
Meta linked the expansion to its recent agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general to strengthen how it identifies teens and children under 13 on its apps. It also called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same practices.
Meta noted that countries around the world are bringing in new laws on keeping teens safe online. Its announcement does not say how many of the teens affected are in Africa, or when the change reaches each country.
Correction, 9 November 2026: An earlier version of this story said Meta expected millions of teens in Africa to be affected and that its system does not use facial recognition. Meta's announcement says neither, and those lines have been removed.
Source: Meta: Expanding Teen Account Protections to Teens Around the World
Sources
Source: Meta
