Meta deploys AI tool to catch underage Instagram users misrepresenting ages

Meta has begun expanding an artificial intelligence system designed to detect underage users who provide false birth information during Instagram registration. The technology represents the social media giant's latest effort to enforce age-appropriate safeguards on its platform, which has faced mounting pressure from regulators and child safety advocates over how it protects minors.

The AI tool analyzes user-provided data to identify inconsistencies that suggest someone has entered an incorrect birth date. When the system flags a potential underage user, Instagram automatically applies its teen safety settings, which restrict features like direct messaging, limit who can contact them, and control content visibility in their feed.

The expanded global deployment comes as Meta grapples with regulatory scrutiny across multiple regions regarding its handling of younger users' data and wellbeing. Several countries, including those across South and Southeast Asia, have intensified oversight of social media platforms' youth protection measures.

Instagram has previously implemented age verification requirements and parental consent mechanisms in certain markets. The AI detection tool complements these existing safeguards by creating an additional enforcement layer at the registration stage, potentially catching users who might otherwise misrepresent their age to access the platform without restrictions.