AI-based age verification feature in Instagram expands globally
Meta is expanding age verification on Instagram worldwide: millions of teenage users will automatically receive Teen Account settings, even if they provided an incorrect date of birth.
The system analyzes indicators that suggest a user may be under 18. These include profiles and types of content they interact with, birthday greetings, as well as common themes and visual characteristics of photos and videos, such as height and bone structure. In Australia, Meta has additionally begun using Apple’s age signal.
Users whom the system identifies as under 13 will be removed from Instagram—this is the minimum age for Meta accounts. For users aged 13–17, Teen Accounts are automatically enabled, even if they entered an adult date of birth during registration. Such accounts are private by default, restrict content available to teenagers, and prevent strangers from sending them direct messages.
Parents and guardians can monitor Teen Accounts, set time limits, and track Instagram usage. Users aged 16 and under cannot independently change the settings of such an account without adult permission. In the U.S., parents will begin receiving notifications in Instagram next month about how the age assessment system works and ways to verify whether the platform has the correct age for their teenager.
The expansion follows the settlement of a $17.1 billion lawsuit in August, in which Meta agreed to strengthen age verification practices and restrictions for teenagers. The company has not disclosed whether the automatic age verification on Facebook, launched for U.S. accounts in May, will be available in other regions.
