Meta is using a new AI-powered tool to determine whether Instagram and Facebook users are underage.
In a blog post, the company explained that the tech scans a user’s photos and videos for “general themes and visual cues” including height and bone structure. Meta stressed that this isn’t facial recognition as it “does not identify the specific person in the image.” This new tool will work alongside existing AI features that scan text and interactions in an effort to gauge the user’s age.
For now, the company is testing this visual analysis feature in “select” countries ahead of a broader rollout. It will also be used to automatically place users into Meta’s Teen Accounts accordingly.
These initiatives come amid wider discussions surrounding regulating the use of social media among youth. This has led many countries, including Canada, to consider a full-on ban for kids, with Australia having actually implemented one in December. However, we’ve also seen reports of many Australian teens already finding workarounds. We’ve also seen how Discord users circumvented age verification with a photo of Norman Reedus from the video game Death Stranding.
All of this also comes shortly after a U.S. jury ruled that Meta violated child safety laws on its platform by misleading users about the dangers of child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms.
Source: Meta
