Meta has expanded its automated age-verification system for Instagram globally, Yahoo Finance reported, with the technology assessing users' ages based on appearance and placing them in Teen Accounts even if they had previously entered an adult age. The system, which was previously available only in limited markets, applies restrictions including limited messaging, content controls and time limits to accounts it identifies as belonging to teenagers.
In Australia, Meta is also drawing on Apple's age-range signal when determining whether a user is a teenager. Australian users who have provided an adult date of birth may be reclassified into Teen Accounts if the AI age-estimation system assesses them as teenagers. The eSafety Commissioner has opened investigations into five platforms over potential non-compliance: Instagram, Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, the Prime Minister of Australia said in a statement.
Meta faces multiple lawsuits alleging that its platforms harm teenagers. The company has not disclosed what financial effect it expects the new age-checking approach to have, nor how it will handle errors in age estimates.
Meta's lawsuit against California argued that the state has no authority to override how the company makes editorial choices about curating and displaying content, while children remain free to spend unlimited time on comparable platforms. The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta said it was reviewing the lawsuits and that it was committed to defending California's laws protecting children online.
On Facebook, Meta is continuing to extend the AI age technology, and a comparable rollout on Threads is planned globally before the end of this year. The company's suite of teen safety tools followed disclosures by a whistleblower showing Meta had knowledge of the harm its platforms caused young users.
The eSafety Commissioner's ongoing investigation into five platforms, including Instagram and Meta, means Australian platforms could face compliance action over their handling of young users.
Official statements: Prime Minister of Australia
Reporting: Yahoo Finance, The Guardian
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
