Instagram Is Using AI to Automatically Enroll Minors Into 'Teen Accounts'

Meta is cracking down on underage Instagram users. Following the introduction of "Teen Accounts" last year, featuring restrictions for users under 18, Meta has expanded these restrictions to Facebook and Messenger, and is now enhancing its enforcement on Instagram.

Initially, existing Instagram accounts belonging to teens were automatically converted to Teen Accounts, provided their real age was listed. However, this system had a flaw: teens falsely claiming to be 18 or older bypassed these protections.

Meta's AI solution: A new AI system is being deployed to identify teens posing as adults. Beginning in the US, this AI will analyze user behavior and automatically convert suspected teen accounts to Teen Accounts, regardless of the stated age. This builds upon an existing AI model used since 2022 to detect underage users based on their online activity and interactions. Birthday posts and interactions are key indicators, with an abundance of "happy 17th birthday" messages raising immediate suspicion.

Potential for errors: While many parents may welcome this increased protection, the AI's fallibility raises concerns. Adult accounts could be mistakenly flagged, leading to unwarranted restrictions. These restrictions include forced privacy settings, limitations on adult user interactions, restrictions on viewing certain content (such as violent content or cosmetic procedure promotion), daily usage warnings, and a nightly "sleep mode" that mutes notifications and auto-replies to DMs. While some adults might find these limitations beneficial, they are not intended for adult users.

Recourse for misidentification: While teens can manually adjust some limitations, adults wrongly flagged as teens should not have their accounts subjected to these restrictions. Meta acknowledges this possibility, stating they are working to improve accuracy but will offer users the option to adjust their settings if a mistake occurs. While the exact mitigation steps remain unclear, a likely solution will be an age verification process to restore adult accounts to their standard settings.

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