Instagram will use AI to estimate your age
Meta is taking its AI age estimation worldwide, which will move millions of teens into more restricted accounts on Instagram.
Instagram will use AI to estimate your age worldwide. Meta announced that its age estimation, active since last year in the United States, the European Union and Brazil, will now go global, The Verge reported.
According to Meta's announcement, the rollout will automatically place millions more teens into Teen Accounts, the most restricted format the company offers to people ages 13 to 17.
What signals it uses to guess your age
The app doesn't rely on a single piece of data. It looks at the profiles you interact with, the type of content you consume and even the birthday messages you receive. It also looks at the photos and videos you post and picks up general visual cues, such as height and bone structure, according to Meta.
«An algorithm can estimate your age; it can't calculate your worth.»
In Australia, the company added the age-range signal that Apple provides as an extra detection method. Meta describes these signals as indicators that help estimate whether an account belongs to someone under 18.
A made-up birth date when you sign up is no longer enough: the system can correct the account anyway, according to the company.
What changes on a minor's account
If the system estimates that you are under 13, Meta deletes the account: that is the minimum age it requires to have a profile. If it calculates that you are between 13 and 17, it moves you to a Teen Account even if you declared an adult age.
These accounts are private by default, show less content and block direct messages from strangers. The idea, according to Meta, is for the experience to be safer and more age-appropriate.
What your parents can do
Parents and guardians can supervise the Teen Account: set time limits and see how the app is used. In addition, settings can't be changed without an adult's permission when the user is 16 or younger.
In the United States, parents will receive a notification inside Instagram next month explaining how age estimation works and how to check that their child's age is set correctly. The expansion comes after a $17.1 billion settlement in a lawsuit, in which Meta committed to strengthening its age controls and restrictions for teens.
On Facebook, automatic age checks have been active on US accounts since May. Meta has not said whether it will bring them to other countries.
Check the birth date on your profile and your privacy settings today; if you are 16 or younger, do it with your mom, dad or guardian. Three specific things are worth looking at: the date shown on your profile, who has supervision permission, and whether messages from strangers are still blocked. An algorithm can estimate your age; it can't calculate your worth. "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works" (Psalm 139:14, ESV). And the question remains: would you trust your age to a machine?
