Teens and parents can expect Instagram notifications about AI age estimation

Meta says it’s expanding its AI age estimation globally to automatically extend Instagram account protections to millions more teenagers. It says parents in the US can also expect to receive notifications later this month … Instagram has a number of protections for the accounts of teenagers, but it’s very common for teens to lie about their age in order to circumvent them. Back in May, the company said it would be using AI-powered age estimation to address the problem. The company said it would use the tool to block users aged below 13, and to ensure that those in the 13 to 17 range had limited accounts. Teen accounts have age-appropriate feeds, limitations on who can interact with them, and default time management tools – though things didn’t get off to the best of starts when a 12-year-old kid fooled it by using an eyebrow pencil to draw a fake moustache. Meta today says that it is rolling out the (hopefully now eyebrow pencil-proof) tech globally. We use AI technology to find people we suspect to be teens, even if they use an adult birthday, and place them in Teen Account protections. Since first introducing this technology, we’ve been placing more teens in age-appropriate protections and are encouraged by the results. Based on that success, today we’re expanding this technology globally. The company goes on to say that parents in the US will receive a notification sometime this month, with a link to a video and an article about the system. This month, parents in the United States will begin to see an in-feed video on Instagram explaining our approach to ensuring their teens are in age-appropriate protections. The video will link to an article, written by Larry Magid, internet safety advocate and President and CEO of ConnectSafely, detailing our multi-layered age assurance approach, which includes keeping children under 13 off our platforms, providing age appropriate experiences for teens, and informing parents about ways they can partner with us to ensure their teens provide the correct age online. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the article here. Meta says the same protections will be rolled out to Threads and Facebook, although I would have thought being on Facebook in the first place is proof that it’s been a while since you were a teenager … Image: 9to5Mac/Meta/Luke Chesser FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.