Meta to Use AI to Identify Underage Users

Social media giant Meta is preparing to roll out artificial intelligence (AI)-powered age estimation technology worldwide to strengthen online safety for underage users.

The move comes amid growing criticism over the safety of teenagers on social media platforms and mounting legal pressure over the impact of these platforms on young people.

In an announcement on Monday (November 9), Meta said its AI technology would analyse users' online behaviour and posts to identify teenagers, even if they had changed their dates of birth to appear older.

Users identified as teenagers will automatically be placed under special protections through Meta's Teen Accounts system.

The technology was previously tested in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Following what the company described as successful implementation, Meta is now expanding the system globally.

Starting this month, parents in the United States who have set up Instagram accounts for their teenage children will receive notifications about the new system. Later this year, the age-estimation technology will also be extended to Facebook and Threads.

Parents can already create accounts for their children and place them in designated age categories. However, the new technology is intended to prevent teenagers from bypassing parental controls and safety restrictions by providing false birth dates.

Under Meta's updated rules, Teen Accounts will come with several restrictions designed to protect young users.

These include a daily usage limit of up to two hours and automatic silencing of notifications during nighttime hours to encourage healthy sleep habits.

Features such as likes and reactions, which can encourage social comparison, will also be hidden to reduce potential negative effects on teenagers' mental health.

Parents will receive immediate notifications if their teenage children initiate conversations with unfamiliar adults for the first time.

The system will also alert parents when teenagers search for sensitive topics related to suicide, self-harm or eating disorders. Additionally, access to appearance-altering filters will be restricted.

Child development experts around the world have repeatedly raised concerns that platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can encourage addictive behaviour and place significant psychological pressure on young users.

Last year, Australia introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16. However, the measure subsequently faced legal challenges concerning its scientific basis and constitutional validity.

Meanwhile, attorneys general in several US states have filed lawsuits against Meta over the alleged harmful effects of its platforms on minors.

In August, Meta reached an $18 billion legal settlement with several US states and pledged to strengthen its age-verification procedures.

Beyond its own platforms, Meta has also urged other technology companies to take similar measures.

In a statement, the company said Instagram was only one of many applications used by teenagers and called on other major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to introduce effective safeguards to ensure the broader online safety of young people.

Source: Al Jazeera

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