Goal is expanding its artificial intelligence system responsible for estimating the age of Instagram users on a global scale. The goal is, in particular, to identify teenagers who have entered a date of birth that makes them look like adults, to automatically place them under the protection of Teen Accounts.
Instagram uses several clues spread throughout the profiles: birthday posts, mentions of a school class, comments, biographies or photo captions. The platform can also analyze photographs and videos to detect visual characteristics that suggest that a person is a minor. Meta detailed this technology in May, mentioning in particular bone size or structure.
Private accounts and more limited interactions.
When a user is identified as a teenager, Instagram can automatically integrate them into the Teen Accounts system. These are private by default, limit messages from strangers, further filter sensitive content, and impose several restrictions aimed at those under 18.
Meta, however, insists that its visual analysis does not constitute facial recognition: the AI looks for general age-related clues without attempting to identify the person photographed.
Facebook and Threads will continue in turns.
The technology had already been gradually implemented to detect minors who lie about their age. It will now cover Instagram worldwide while continuing its expansion on Facebook. Please note that Threads should benefit from a similar system before the end of the current year.
Meta is therefore strengthening its controls as the protection of minors becomes an important regulatory and judicial issue for social networks. A delicate question remains: how far can a platform go to analyze the posts and appearance of its users (to determine their age) without compromising confidentiality and respect for private data.
