Meta uses AI profiling to infer user age, enforce teen restrictions Meta says it has begun using AI to detect and remove users under 13 from its platforms, and to automatically turn on Teen Account protections for users it deems to be teenagers. A blog post says the algorithmic function will flag Instagram users in Brazil and the EU, and Facebook users in the U.S., even if they have declared an age over 18. The firm also wants you to know it is “providing parents on Facebook and Instagram with tips on how to help them have conversations with their teens about the importance of being honest about their age online.” Meta has put on a good show of caring about online safety and age assurance legislation. The company is continually explaining how it supports the goal of keeping people safe online; its latest missive claims that, “for over a decade, we’ve built tools, features, and resources to help teens have safe, age-appropriate experiences on our apps. This includes launching Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger with built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see.” “For years, we’ve worked to find and remove accounts that belong to those we believe are underage,” Meta says. “Today, we’re providing more detail on our ongoing efforts to develop advanced AI that detects underage accounts, including the use of visual analysis to look beyond simple admissions of age.” Australia has proof Meta is bad at keeping kids off its platforms The suggestion that Meta works hard to keep kids off its services is easily exploded with reference to two bits of context: first, data from Australia showing that Meta has done a miserable job of complying with its Social Media Minimum Age, and second, court decisions in the