Meta to use AI to detect users' age on Facebook and Instagram, move teens to Teen Accounts

Meta has taken a significant step to protect children and teenagers online. Facebook and Instagram will now use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the age of users.

Even if someone entered a wrong date of birth while creating an account, the AI system will estimate the user's age by examining their activity and patterns of use.

Meta's new system will not rely on the date of birth alone. Account information and usage patterns will be analysed. If a user turns out to be a teenager, the account will be automatically converted into a Teen Account. This is expected to help keep children away from age-inappropriate content and messages from strangers.

The company announced the feature in an official blog post. Meta has been testing the technology since April 2025. The decision comes amid growing pressure on social media companies worldwide over children's online safety.

Meta will provide several safety measures for Teen Accounts. These include screen time limits, a quiet mode that turns off notifications at night, strict privacy settings and restrictions on inappropriate content. Messages from strangers will also be limited.

Heavy use of social media can lead to problems among children such as addiction, feelings of inferiority, lack of sleep, depression, cyberbullying and FOMO (fear of missing out). Given the concern for children's mental health, these safeguards could prove important.

According to Meta, the new safety features and the AI-based age checks will be rolled out in phases from January. How accurately the system identifies age and how it protects users' privacy will become clear only after implementation begins.