As part of its efforts to enforce age restrictions across its platform, Meta plans to introduce artificial intelligence tools that will analyze photos and videos to identify whether a user is under 13, according to a report from TechCrunch. The system evaluates visual cues such as a person’s height and bone structure to estimate their age and determine whether their account should be deleted from platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
The company said in a blog post that the technology does not rely on facial recognition, but instead analyzes common visual patterns and combines them with contextual signals derived from user activity. Meta reported that the system evaluates text and interaction data along with visual input to improve its ability to identify underage accounts at scale.
The visual analytics feature is currently operational in some countries, and the company is working towards broader global expansion. The initiative forms part of Meta’s broader strategy to prevent children under 13 from accessing services.
Meta’s AI system examines the entire user profile for contextual indicators, such as mentions of birthday celebrations and school grades. These signals are analyzed across multiple formats such as posts, comments, profiles, and captions. The company said it plans to further expand this technology to features such as Instagram Live and Facebook Groups.
If the system flags a user as potentially underage, Meta will deactivate the account and require the individual to complete an age verification process to maintain access, the company announced.
The move comes weeks after a New Mexico jury ordered Mehta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for allegedly misleading users about the safety of its platform and putting children at risk. The ruling also directed the company to implement structural changes to its platform, which could lead to Meta potentially withdrawing its services from the country.
The lawsuit is one of several legal challenges facing Meta and other big tech companies regarding child safety and platform accountability.
Separately, Meta announced that it would expand Instagram’s automatic “Teen Accounts” feature to 27 countries in the European Union and Brazil. These accounts have stricter safeguards in place, including restricting direct messages to known contacts, filtering harmful comments, and making profiles private by default.
The company also said it would extend similar protections to Facebook users in the United States, with further rollouts in the United Kingdom and European Union in June.
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