Meta’s AI may use bone structure, height to detect underage accounts

Meta is now trying a different way to spot underage users on Instagram and Facebook. Till now, most of this depended on what users entered while signing up. But that clearly hasn’t been enough. So instead of just relying on a date of birth, the company is starting to look at other signals as well. Things that might give a better idea of someone’s actual age. Also Read: Viral AI image trends are fueling ChatGPT, Google Gemini growth like never before

This is also happening at a time when platforms are under more pressure to deal with child safety properly. Meta’s rule is simple on paper — users need to be at least 13. But in practice, verifying that online has always been tricky. Instead of relying only on the date of birth entered by users, the company is now trying to identify patterns and signals that may suggest someone is underage. This also comes as Meta continues to face legal challenges and scrutiny around teen safety and user protection on its platforms. Also Read: Inside AI detection tools: How they really work and why they sometimes get it wrong

How AI will detect underage users

Meta is building AI systems that look at different parts of a user’s profile to estimate their age. This includes analysing posts, captions, comments, and even interactions. Also Read: AI vs Doctors: Harvard Study shows 67% accuracy in emergency trials

For instance, if someone keeps posting about school, birthdays, or mentions their grade, the system may pick up on that and flag the account as potentially underage. These signals are not taken in isolation, but combined to form a broader understanding of the user.

The company is also adding visual analysis into the mix. This means the AI can scan photos and videos to look for general cues like height or bone structure to estimate age. Meta has clarified that this is not facial recognition and does not identify a specific person.

What happens if an account is flagged

If the system believes an account belongs to someone underage, it can take action. In some cases, the account may be deactivated.

If an account ends up getting flagged, the next step is verification. Users may be asked to prove their age, either by uploading an ID or going through a facial age check. And if that doesn’t go through, the account stays removed.

Meta is also working on stopping users from creating new accounts after being flagged, especially if there are repeated attempts to bypass the system.

Teen accounts and stricter controls

Since 2024, Meta has been placing a large number of teen users on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger into what it calls “Teen Accounts”. These are accounts with built-in restrictions, designed to limit what younger users can see and who can contact them.

To make this work better, Meta introduced a system that can identify users it believes are teenagers, even if they have entered an adult date of birth. This system was first rolled out on Instagram in countries like the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK, where it automatically shifted millions of accounts into these protected settings.

The company is now expanding this system further. It is being rolled out across 27 countries in the EU and Brazil for Instagram users. At the same time, Meta is also bringing this approach to Facebook in the US, with plans to extend it to the UK and EU soon after.

Meta has also indicated that this rollout will continue through the year, with the aim of applying these protections more widely across its platforms.

The company is also extending these checks to more parts of the platform, including Reels, Live, and Groups, so the same level of control applies across the app. These changes also come at a time when the company is facing multiple cases globally related to user safety, especially involving younger users.

Role of reporting and parents

Apart from AI detection, Meta is also making it easier for users to report underage accounts. These reports are reviewed using a mix of AI systems and human teams, which the company says helps improve accuracy and speed.

The company is also involving parents more actively. It plans to send notifications with guidance on how to check and confirm a teenager’s age on these platforms.

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Meta has also said that age verification is a broader issue and believes app stores should play a bigger role in confirming user age before access is granted.