Instagram is enhancing its AI-based age verification for teenage users.

      Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

      The time when teenagers would lie about their age on Instagram is behind us. Meta has announced the implementation of AI-powered age detection technology to transition teens suspected of age misrepresentation into restricted Teen Accounts.

      In a blog post on Monday, Instagram's parent company explained this AI-driven initiative, stating that it will utilize its existing technology, which has long been employed to identify the ages of users, to target accounts that may belong to teenagers who provided false age information to evade restrictions, regardless of whether they list an adult birthday. Instagram noted that efforts are being made to enhance the AI's accuracy in assigning teen users to Teen Accounts, while also allowing users to adjust their settings if their accounts are mistakenly categorized as Teen Accounts.

      Besides employing AI for age verification, Instagram will start notifying parents of teen users with guidance on discussing the importance of accurately representing age on social media. Parents must have their own Instagram accounts to receive these notifications, which will commence immediately.

      Meta stated, “The digital world continues to evolve, and we must evolve with it. That’s why it’s crucial we collaborate with parents to ensure as many teens as possible benefit from the protective features associated with Teen Accounts.”

      Teen Accounts were launched on Instagram last year to enhance safety for users under 16 by reducing their exposure to sensitive content, such as violent images and reels promoting cosmetic procedures, and limiting who can contact them. Additional safeguards in Teen Accounts include making accounts private by default, restricting messages and tags to people they follow, and sending a notification to take a break after one hour of scrolling on Instagram.

      Cristina Alexander is a gaming and mobile writer at Digital Trends, providing fair coverage of industry topics.

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