The Meta continues has proposed its age verification methods with an AI system that analyzes photos and videos on Instagram and Facebook for “physical characteristics,” such as height and bone structure, to identify and delete accounts of users under the age of 13. The company announced the move amid a wave of cases where hundreds of children were able to circumvent social media access restrictions, even with tricks as simple as drawing a mustache.
The new method is part of a series of measures adopted by Meta as part of an AI-based security strategy designed to address the limitations of traditional methods, which rely heavily on self-reported age. With this change, the company wants to reduce the ease with which children access platforms that, in theory, are limited to them.
In a press release, Meta explained that it uses several tools to identify context clues that allow estimating a person’s age. This process includes analyzing posts, comments, bios, and descriptions, with special attention to clues related to school years or birthdays—things that can provide clues about the actual age of the account holder.
These tools are in addition to automatic analysis techniques aimed at detecting physical characteristics from images shared to social networks Meta. These include factors such as height and bone structure. Meta is careful to say that this system is not facial recognition, as it does not want to identify specific people in photos or videos. Instead, the company notes that, “by combining these visual insights with our text analysis and collaboration, we can significantly increase the number of underage accounts we identify and remove.”
If, based on these factors, Meta suspects that the account is managed by a child under the age of 13, it will be suspended. The user will have to re-verify his age using the procedures established by the company to regain access; otherwise, the profile will be permanently deleted.
Meta also announced that it will expand the scope of its technology to detect users between the ages of 13 and 15 and automatically assign them youth accounts. This profile type includes content restrictions and parental controls enabled by default, with the aim of providing a safe environment for this age group.
Meta began using age verification technology in 2024 for Instagram users in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Now, this tool will be extended to Instagram accounts in Brazil and 27 countries of the European Union. In addition, these practices will first be applied to Facebook users in the US, with plans to expand to the EU and UK next month.
I’m Looking At All Grown Up People
The new measures were interpreted as a response to the first decision recently issued by the European Commission, which concluded that the company led by Mark Zuckerberg violated the Digital Services Act for allegedly failing to effectively prevent children under the age of 13 from using its platforms. The EU body found that the company did not have effective enough mechanisms in place to block such access and that its current systems for identifying and suspending accounts under the age limit were inadequate.
This criticism is supported by the results of a study conducted by the non-profit organization Internet Matters. After surveying around 1,300 children and their parents in the UK, the study revealed that almost a third of children successfully avoided government-imposed restrictions on social media access. In some cases, the methods used are quite surprising.
The report, titled “Internet Safety Act: Are Children Safe Online?” showed that 46 percent of 9- to 16-year-olds believe that bypassing the age limit is too easy. Overall, however, only 32 percent admitted to breaking the rules.
