Meta expands AI age checks for Instagram teens as lawsuits mount

Meta Platforms announced on Monday that it will expand its artificial intelligence age-estimation technology globally for Instagram users aged 13-17. This move aims to place more teens into Teen Account protections, even if their birth dates indicate they are adults. Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger come equipped with built-in safety features that restrict who can contact teens, limit their content exposure, and monitor their usage time.

Parents in the United States will begin receiving notifications this month, informing them about the age-appropriate protections assigned to their teens on Instagram. In Australia, Meta has started utilizing Apple’s age-range signals as an additional method to ascertain users' ages. The company plans to roll out this technology on Facebook and will begin introducing similar measures globally on Threads later in the year.

Meta has been embroiled in numerous lawsuits alleging that its platforms are detrimental to the mental well-being of young users. In August, the company reached settlements worth up to $18 billion with nearly every U.S. state and territory to resolve claims brought by state attorneys general. These settlements required Meta to enhance its methods for identifying teens and children under 13.

Earlier this month, Meta settled with a teenage plaintiff in a Los Angeles trial concerning allegations that Instagram and Facebook were designed to be addictive, resulting in mental health issues and eating disorders.