Summary: Starting today, Meta’s Instagram will expand the use of AI for age detection. The system will be able to determine whether the account belongs to teens by checking different identifiers and engagement data, even if the user has provided an adult birthdate. If a user is found lying about their age, Instagram will place such accounts under “Teen Account” settings.
It’s no surprise that many teenagers lie about their age when creating their social media profiles. Companies running these social media apps are aware of this and have put some age detection measures in place. Last year, Meta announced that it was using AI for age detection on Instagram. Now, the company is expanding AI-powered age detection to spot teens misrepresenting their age.
Meta is expanding AI to Instagram for catching teens lying about their age
When Instagram initially took the help of AI for age detection, the system used to look for different signals that hinted users were under 18. Meta said that this could also include checking engagement data. If you’re unaware, Meta enables more restrictive settings for teen accounts by default.
For example, teen accounts can’t receive messages from strangers and are private by default. That’s not all; Instagram also filters out the content teens see. Meta changed these settings for all Instagram teen accounts last year to ensure teens’ safety on the platform.
Now, Instagram will proactively use AI for teen accounts that have an adult birthday. In the announcement blog post, Instagram notes, “Today, we’re beginning to test AI technology in the US that will proactively find accounts we suspect belong to teens, even if the account lists an adult birthday, and place them in Teen Account settings.”
You’ll have the option to change settings in case of an error
The platform further acknowledges the possibility of wrong age detection by the technology. This is why Instagram will also provide an option for users to change their settings. The platform will also send notifications to parents on Instagram. These notifications will help parents to have conversations with their teens about the importance of providing correct age information online.
Instagram has been testing and rolling out new features lately. More recently, the platform announced a new feature called Blend, which allows users to create a custom feed for Reels. That’s not all; Instagram’s parent company is also dealing with legal challenges and also awaiting penalties from the EU.
