Instagram to use AI to catch teens lying about their age and automatically move them to restricted accounts

Meta to use AI age-prediction software to spot teenagers lying about their age
Move comes after Instagram introduced teen accounts in September
Meta will begin moving teens automatically to its new accounts

According to a new Bloomberg report, Meta is set to use AI to predict the age of its Instagram users and automatically transfer anybody under 18 to a teen account, if it believes they are lying about their age.

In the wake of national outcry about the impact of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook on the mental health of teenagers, Meta introduced teen accounts in September. Teen accounts, for children aged 13-17, have built-in limits on who can contact them, and what content they can see. They are automatically set to hide potentially offensive comments and message requests.

Secure accounts for teenagers will only work if those under 18 volunteer to use them or are honest about their ages, which is why Meta has devised a way of enforcing the appropriate accounts. The proprietary software tool Meta has developed, called ‘adult classifier’, will come into play next year and is designed to classify users into two groups: under or over 18 years of age. According to Allison Hartnet, Meta’s director of product management for youth and social impact, the tool will scan a user’s profile, what content they interact with, and their follower list to determine their age. Even innocuous “happy birthday” messages can be used to help determine a user’s true age.