It seems Meta has decided to stop trusting the birth dates we provide voluntarily and has started looking at us a little more deeply—literally! In a serious effort to clean its Facebook and Instagram platforms of users under the age of thirteen, the company has revealed the use of advanced artificial intelligence technologies that do not just read text, but analyze photos and videos to look for physical features that indicate a user’s true age, even if they claim otherwise.
It’s not just a photo… it’s your bone structure!
Meta explained in a recent blog post that it uses AI systems to look for contextual clues, such as mentions of school grade levels or birthday celebrations in profiles and posts. However, the most notable and controversial addition is visual analysis technology; the system scans photos and videos to search for additional indicators of a person’s age with greater accuracy than ever before.
The company was quick to clarify that this is not “facial recognition,” but rather an analysis of general traits. The AI looks at general subjects and visual cues, such as height or bone structure, to estimate a person’s general age without attempting to identify their personal identity. By combining these visual insights with text and interaction analysis, Meta hopes to increase the accuracy of identifying and immediately deleting accounts managed by children from its platforms.
Age verification or permanent expulsion from the platform
Meta is currently applying this visual analysis in select countries in preparation for a wider global rollout. If the systems suspect that a user is under 13 years old, their account will be deactivated immediately. The user will not be able to recover their account unless they provide conclusive proof that they are 13 or older; otherwise, the account faces permanent deletion of all its data, a firm measure aimed at deterring those who manipulate their age.
For teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15, Meta is expanding detection systems to automatically place them into “Teen Accounts,” which feature strict parental controls and additional protections. This feature has begun appearing in Brazil and EU countries and is now making its way to Facebook in the United States and Britain to ensure a safe experience for this sensitive age group.
Legal pressures and a race against regulatory time
This move by Meta is not just a desire for innovation, but a response to immense legal pressure. The European Commission recently hinted that Meta might be in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its failure to protect children. The company is also facing similar investigations in U.S. states to ensure that young children do not access content that may not be suitable for their maturity level.
Even WhatsApp has not been spared from the changes, as Meta recently introduced parent-managed accounts for children under 13 to ensure the app is used more safely and under direct supervision. It seems the era of “age bypassing” on social media platforms is nearing its end thanks to AI eyes that see beneath the skin. Will Meta finally succeed in making its platforms an adults-only environment?
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