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Meta Using AI To Identify Suspected Teens On Instagram; Here's Why It Is Doing So

Meta will also send notifications to parents on Instagram with advice on how to conduct discussions with their teenagers about the significance of providing the correct age.

<div class="paragraphs"><p>Meta said that it is  testing AI technology that will proactively identify accounts it believes belong to teenagers, even if they list an adult birthday, and put them in Teen Account settings. (Source: Meta)</p></div>
Meta said that it is testing AI technology that will proactively identify accounts it believes belong to teenagers, even if they list an adult birthday, and put them in Teen Account settings. (Source: Meta)

Meta is testing artificial intelligence technology in order to identify Instagram accounts it believes belong to teenagers. In a blog post on its website, the social networking major said it has “been using artificial intelligence to help determine age ranges for some time, but leveraging it in this way is a big change.” 

Meta’s AI Tech To Identify Potential Teen Accounts

Meta noted that due to their schedules, parents do not always have time to go over age settings of their children’s Instagram accounts. Hence, it is taking measures to get as many teenagers as possible in Teen Account settings.

“We’re taking steps to ensure our technology is accurate and that we are correctly placing teens we identify into protective, age-appropriate settings, but in case we make a mistake, we’re giving people the option to change their settings,” Meta said.

“We are now testing AI technology that will proactively identify accounts we believe belong to teenagers, even if they list an adult birthday, and put them in Teen Account settings,” the company added.  

Meta To Send Instagram Notifications To Parents

Additionally, in a bid to make its platform more teens-friendly, Meta will begin sending notifications to parents on Instagram with advice on how to conduct discussions with their teenagers about the significance of providing the correct age online.

The company will “share tips on how to have these conversations, and to check and confirm their teens’ ages on our apps,” it said, adding that these suggestions come in consultations with experts, including paediatric psychologists.

How Do Instagram Teen Accounts Help?

Meta introduced Instagram Teen Accounts last year with built-in safeguards to restrict who may reach teenagers, what they can view, and how much time they can spend online. Teens are automatically placed in these protective settings, and those under the age of 16 require parental/guardian permission to make changes to settings.

Yesterday’s announcements come just weeks after Meta declared it has expanded Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger and is offering additional protections to Instagram Teen Accounts.

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