The era of teenagers misrepresenting their ages on Instagram is coming to an end. Meta has revealed that it will implement AI-driven age detection technology to register teens who are suspected of providing false information about their age and enable them to switch to a restricted Teen Account.
In a recent blog post, Instagram’s parent company shared details about this AI initiative aimed at monitoring teenage users. The company explained that they will use existing AI capabilities, which have been in use for some time to gauge age ranges, to identify accounts believed to belong to teenagers deceiving the platform to bypass safety features, even if their profiles indicate they are adults. Instagram confirmed that it is taking precautions to ensure the AI functions accurately, allowing for proper categorization of teen users into Teen Accounts. If an account is mistakenly flagged, users will have the opportunity to adjust their settings accordingly.
Moreover, Instagram is set to begin notifying parents of teen users, offering guidance on how to engage their children about the significance of providing accurate age details on their social media profiles. To receive these notifications, parents will need to have their own Instagram accounts, and the notification system will be implemented immediately.
According to Meta, “The digital landscape is continually changing, and we must adapt alongside it. Therefore, collaborating with parents is crucial to ensure that as many teenagers as possible have access to the protective measures associated with Teen Accounts.”
Teen Accounts were introduced last year to enhance safety for users under the age of 16 by limiting their exposure to sensitive materials, such as violent content and advertising related to cosmetic procedures. These accounts also impose restrictions on who can contact them. Additional safety features include making accounts private by default, only allowing direct messaging and tagging from followed accounts, and issuing notifications encouraging users to take breaks after 60 minutes of scrolling.
