Overview
- Meta, which detailed the changes on Tuesday, will use AI to scan photos and videos for age cues like height and bone structure and says the system does not use facial recognition.
- Accounts suspected to belong to users under 13 will be deactivated until the owner verifies age, and suspected 13–17-year-olds will be placed into Teen Accounts with stricter privacy and messaging limits.
- The company is extending proactive Teen Account protections to 27 EU countries and Brazil on Instagram and switching on similar safeguards for Facebook users in the United States now, with the UK and EU to follow in June.
- Parents in the U.S. will start receiving in‑app notices explaining how to check and confirm a teen’s age, and Meta says it has simplified underage reporting and added AI to speed up reviews.
- The rollout follows a $375 million jury verdict against Meta in New Mexico and a preliminary EU finding under the Digital Services Act, and the company is urging app stores to handle age verification, citing support from 88% of U.S. parents.