You might be able to fool your followers, but Instagram’s new AI may know your true age. The technology is part of Meta’s growing effort to create safer online experiences for teens.
The company is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to identify accounts that list an adult birthday but appear to be used by teens. The move builds on the Teen Accounts feature Meta introduced in September 2023.
What are teen accounts?
Teen Accounts automatically enroll users under 16 into more private and restricted versions of Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. These accounts default to private settings and limit the content teens can access.
For example, teens cannot use Instagram Live without parental approval. They also receive notifications after 60 minutes of app usage and have sensitive images automatically hidden in direct messages.
Meta launched Teen Accounts in response to rising concerns about online safety for younger users. Research has shown teens are more vulnerable to harmful content, online predators and addictive platform design.
While social media doesn’t affect all teens the same way, a 2022 Pew Research study found that 62% of U.S. kids aged 13 to 17 used Instagram.
In 2024, the American Psychological Association reported the average amount of time spent on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram was 4.8 hours. Of those studied, 41% of the teens with the highest social media usage rated their overall mental health as poor.
That level of usage has raised concerns among health experts and parents alike. Most social media platforms are designed with features like infinite scrolling, algorithm-driven content, and variable rewards –– such as unpredictable likes and notifications. These elements are intentionally built to keep users engaged longer, which can lead to compulsive use, especially among teens.
Why AI age detection is needed
Still, a common workaround has remained: simply entering an older birth year. Meta’s new AI tool is designed to detect those workarounds by analyzing user behavior and interactions.
The AI considers signals like who users follow, what kind of content they engage with, and even whether they receive birthday messages that may hint at their actual age. When needed, human reviewers can manually evaluate those data points to determine whether the account should be switched to a teen experience.
Parents now receive notifications
Meta has also introduced a new feature that notifies parents through Instagram, encouraging them to talk with their children about why providing their correct age matters.
Since rolling out Teen Accounts, Meta says over 54 million teens have been placed into these safer digital environments.
“We’ll continue our efforts to help ensure teens are placed in age-appropriate online experiences, like Teen Accounts,” Meta wrote in a blog post Monday, April 21. “But the most effective way to understand age is by obtaining parental approval and verifying age on the app store.”
