Meta expands Instagram’s AI age-guessing tech globally
Meta is expanding its AI-powered age estimation technology globally to identify teens on Instagram and enforce stricter account protections. This move follows legal settlements regarding the company's impact on younger users and aims to ensure age-appropriate experiences.
Why it matters
As tech giants face increasing scrutiny over child safety, the use of AI to verify user age represents a significant shift in platform governance and privacy.
Meta announced on Monday that it’s expanding its AI-powered age estimation technology on Instagram worldwide to identify more teens and place them under its Teen Account protections, as it faces numerous lawsuits accusing its platforms of harming teens.
The social media giant says it will use the AI technology to find people it suspects to be teens, even if they use an adult birthday.
Teen Accounts place users into a stricter account experience with additional safeguards, such as receiving direct messages only from people they follow or are already connected to, hiding harmful comments, and setting accounts to private by default.
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