Meta is using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify teenagers who are lying about their age on Instagram, with the goal of ensuring they access the platform through a restricted Teen Account. The company’s AI system will detect accounts that list an adult birthday but are suspected to belong to minors.
Teen Accounts, launched last year, provide built-in protections for young users, including limiting contact from other users and restricting content viewed. To use these features, teens under 16 require parental permission to adjust settings.
Meta announced its plan to use AI to identify and enroll teens in Teen Accounts after detecting fake adult birthdays and receiving reports from other users. The company aims to ensure the accuracy of its technology and provide options for users to change their settings if needed.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is taking steps to educate parents about providing accurate age information online, including sending notifications with tips on discussing this topic with teens. This initiative follows a similar announcement for Facebook and Messenger, which introduced Teen Accounts two weeks ago.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/21/instagram-is-using-ai-to-find-teens-lying-about-their-age-and-restricting-their-accounts