Meta expands AI age detection globally to protect teens online

Meta has announced the worldwide rollout of its artificial intelligence (AI) age-estimation technology to detect teenagers who falsely claim their ages online. The company detailed this expansion in a statement on November 9, 2026, adding that it is introducing Apple’s age-range signal in Australia as an additional method for determining users' ages.

By implementing this technology globally, Meta aims to safeguard millions more teenagers from online risks, particularly those who use adult birth dates to bypass age restrictions. The AI identifies accounts suspected of belonging to teenagers, even when users enter incorrect birth dates during registration. Upon identification, these accounts are placed under Teen Account protections, which automatically limit who can contact teenagers, the content they can access, and the time they spend on the platform.

Meta highlighted the importance of this technology in addressing the industry-wide challenge of ensuring teenagers accurately disclose their ages online. Since its introduction, Meta has noted a significant increase in teens being placed under age-appropriate protections. The rollout is currently focused on Instagram, with plans to extend it to Facebook.

Similar technology is set to launch globally on Threads later in 2026. This expansion builds upon Meta's recent agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general to strengthen its identification of teenagers and children under 13 on its platforms. The company is also investing in stronger technology to proactively identify underage accounts and improving its systems for detecting teenagers aged 13 to 17 who provide false birth dates.

Meta calls on other major platforms like TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar measures, emphasizing the need for consistent protections across the digital environment as teenagers use multiple applications. This announcement follows Meta's series of measures to enhance child safety across its platforms, driven by growing regulatory and public pressure to protect younger users.