Instagram’s parent company Meta is stepping up efforts to ensure that young users cannot lie about their age to access its social media platform. Instagram, in particular, has been under scrutiny for its effects on teens’ mental health, and with a new AI-powered tool called “Adult Classifier” to more accurately verify the real age of Meta users Is reacting.

The tool uses artificial intelligence to analyze users’ online behavior and other profile information to estimate their age. It considers factors such as who follows the user, what type of content they interact with, and even comments like friends’ birthday posts. If the classifier detects that the user is under 18 years of age, it will automatically convert them to a “teen account”. These accounts have more restrictive privacy settings, such as limiting who can send messages to the user and filtering the type of content they can view.

Currently, Instagram already asks users to report their age when signing up, but children often lie to gain access to adult content or avoid parental restrictions. By early next year, the adult classifier will begin scanning users who may be in doubt about their age. All users found to be under the age of 18 will be placed on teen accounts, but 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to adjust these settings if they want more flexibility, while younger teens will need parental permission. May need it.

Meta’s move is part of a broader effort to protect teens from potentially harmful content on social media, especially as it faces legal challenges and criticism from state attorneys general and parents who say the platform harms youth. Contributes to mental health crisis among people. The company also faced criticism when a whistleblower, Francis Haugen, disclosed internal documents showing the potential negative effects of Instagram on teenage girls.

Instagram’s strict age-verification approach could help curb the number of underage users lying about their age, but Meta acknowledges it won’t completely solve the problem. Teens who attempt to circumvent age restrictions by adjusting their profile information must verify their age with an ID or through a video selfie with a third-party age-verification service.

Some experts suggest that app stores like Google Play and Apple could take more responsibility for age verification, although these companies argue that this could compromise user data privacy. Meanwhile, Meta hopes its new AI tools will help create a safer environment for teens on Instagram.