Meta describes a ‘adult classifier’ technique for detecting kids who lie about their age on Instagram.

The technology would be implemented by its parent company, Meta, for detecting and controlling the number of teenagers misrepresenting their age on the app. The system, known as the “adult classifier,” should begin its rollout early next year. In general, it will be used to automatically apply stricter privacy settings to users it suspects are under 18 years old.

The adult classifier will look at a variety of signals, including the types of accounts a user follows and their typical interactions with content, to assess whether they may be underage. If the system raises concerns about a user’s age, reclassification of the account as a teen account will occur, and restrictions apply without regard to what age the user attests to.

Meta first announced its plan to use AI to check the ages of minors in September, when it began deploying teen accounts. The teen accounts automatically apply the highest level of privacy protections for children younger than 16 years old. The company had already imposed some restrictions on users under age prior to the rollout of teen accounts. But the formal rollout of the new feature comes with a stricter rule: Teen users can’t change their privacy settings without granting permission to a parent or guardian.

To be doubly sure accurate age verification is in place, Meta also wants teens trying to change the age on their accounts to confirm their identity. They will be given a choice to confirm their age: either by uploading an official government-issued ID or providing a video selfie to Yoti, a company specializing in the subject that has worked in the past with Facebook on age verification. The adult classifier is part of the broader strategy of Meta to reduce the number of users who lie about their age on Instagram. It helps to protect young users’ safety and privacy on the platform.

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