It seems that Meta has decided to stop believing the birth date that we write of our own free will, and has started to look at us a little more deeply, literally! In a serious attempt to clean up its Facebook and Instagram platforms of users under the age of thirteen, the company revealed the use of advanced artificial intelligence technologies that do not just read texts, but analyze images and videos to search for physical features that indicate the real age of the user, even if he claims otherwise.
It's not just a picture... it's the structure of your bones!
Meta explained in a recent blog post that it uses artificial intelligence systems to search for contextual clues, such as mentions of school year or birthday celebrations in profiles and posts. But the most prominent and controversial addition is its visual analysis technology; the system scans photos and videos to find 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 characteristics. The AI looks at general subjects and visual cues, such as height or bone structure, to estimate a person’s overall age, without attempting to identify them personally. By combining these visual insights with text and interaction analysis, Meta hopes to improve the accuracy of identifying accounts run by children and immediately remove them from its platforms.
Proof of age or final expulsion from the platform
Meta is currently implementing this visual analysis in select countries as a prelude to wider global rollout. If the system suspects a user is under 13, their account will be immediately deactivated. The user will only be able to recover their account by providing conclusive proof that they are 13 or older; otherwise, the account will be permanently and completely deleted, along with all its data—a firm measure designed to deter age falsification.
For teenagers aged 13 to 15, Meta is expanding its detection systems to automatically place them into “teen accounts,” which feature strict parental controls and added protection. This feature, which began rolling out in Brazil and the European Union, is now making its way to Facebook in the United States and the United Kingdom, to ensure a safer experience for this vulnerable age group.
Legal pressures and a race against time for regulations
This move by Meta isn't simply a desire for innovation; it's a response to immense legal pressure. The European Commission recently suggested that Meta may be in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its failure to protect children. The company also faces similar investigations in US states to ensure that young children don't access content that may be inappropriate for their age.
Even WhatsApp hasn't escaped the changes, with Meta recently introducing parental control accounts for children under 13 to ensure safer and more supervised use of the app. It seems the era of age restrictions on social media platforms is nearing its end thanks to AI's ability to see beneath the surface. Will Meta finally succeed in making its platforms an environment exclusively for adults?
Source:
تعليق واحد