Meta deploys AI age verification tool across Instagram, Facebook globally

Meta said the age-detection system will help verify users' ages across its flagship platforms, using artificial intelligence to identify whether account holders are below legal age thresholds in their respective countries. The technology represents the company's latest attempt to address concerns about underage users accessing adult content and features designed for older audiences.

The global rollout marks an expansion of Meta's efforts to comply with evolving regulatory requirements around youth protection. Several jurisdictions have implemented stricter rules governing how platforms collect and use user data from minors, with some requiring age verification systems before permitting access to certain features.

However, researchers and digital rights experts have raised significant doubts about the practical viability of AI-based age detection. Critics argue that artificial intelligence systems struggle to accurately verify age without relying on intrusive data collection methods, and that determined young users may easily circumvent detection mechanisms through existing workarounds.

The company did not provide specific technical details about how its system operates or what data it uses to make age determinations. Privacy advocates have warned that aggressive age verification could require Meta to collect additional personal information from users, potentially creating new privacy risks even as the tool aims to safeguard minors.