Instagram is testing AI to verify the ages of its users, particularly focusing on teens who may have entered incorrect birth dates, the Associated Press reported, citing parent company Meta Platforms.

The move is part of the company’s plans to ensure that teen accounts, which have more restrictions than adult accounts, are accurately classified.

The company has been using AI for age verification for some time. However, Instagram will now “proactively” identify teen accounts that may have been set up with inaccurate birth dates.

If a user is found to be misrepresenting their age, their account will automatically be switched to a teen account, which is private by default.

Teen accounts have restricted private messaging, allowing messages only from people they follow or are already connected to.

“Sensitive content” such as videos of fights or cosmetic procedure promotions will be limited, the parent company said.

Meta also plans to notify teens if they spend more than 60 minutes on Instagram and enable a “sleep mode” from 10pm to 7am, the report added.

Meta has trained its AI to detect age-related signals such as the type of content interacted with, profile information and account creation date.

The measures come as social media platforms face scrutiny over their impact on younger users’ mental health, with states attempting to pass age verification laws despite legal challenges.

In November 2024, the Australian Government enacted the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024.

This legislation, which will come into effect by December 2025, establishes a mandatory minimum age of 16 years for users to create accounts on designated social media platforms.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office initiated investigations into social media platforms TikTok, Reddit and Imgur regarding their management of children’s personal data.