Meta has revealed further specifics regarding its efforts to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram. In addition to leveraging artificial intelligence to spot contextual hints—such as references to school grades or birthday festivities within profiles, posts, and captions—the firm states it is implementing visual analysis methods. This involves scanning images and video content to uncover further markers of a user’s age.
“We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition,” Meta explained in a blog post. “Our AI evaluates broad themes and visual indicators, such as height or skeletal structure, to approximate a person’s age; it does not pinpoint the exact individual in the image. By merging these visual insights with our examination of text and interactions, we can substantially boost the identification and removal of underage accounts.”
Meta notes it is applying visual analysis “in select countries as we work toward a broader rollout.” Should the firm suspect a user is under 13, it will suspend their account. The user must then supply verification that they are at least 13 to regain access. Failing to do so will result in Meta permanently deleting their account.
Simultaneously, Meta is broadening its deployment of systems aimed at spotting users aged 13 to 15 to automatically route them into teen accounts, which include parental controls and additional safeguards. This technology will debut on Instagram in Brazil and 27 EU member states. It is also being introduced to Facebook for the first time, starting in the US before expanding to the EU and UK next month. Regarding WhatsApp, Meta recently launched parent-managed accounts to allow children under 13 to use the app more securely.
The company is under pressure from various regions to better safeguard younger users and ensure that children under 13 are not present on Facebook and Instagram. Last week, the European Commission published preliminary results of an inquiry into both platforms, suggesting Meta might be violating the Digital Services Act by not doing enough to keep children off Facebook and Instagram. The company will have the chance to review the findings and address the issues flagged by investigators.