Instagram’s AI age inference system goes live in Canada, UK, Australia

Instagram is rolling out its automated Teen Accounts setting for users in Canada, the UK and Australia. The safety measure, which is already live in the U.S., uses machine learning algorithms to guess at a user’s age, and applies Teen Accounts settings to any accounts that appear to belong to users under 18. The settings limit messaging capabilities and activate content filters, ostensibly to keep kids away from harmful content and age inappropriate interactions.

The move is another sign that Big Tech intends to rely on its own AI tech in applying automated age gates. It follows the launch of YouTube’s age inference algorithm, which observes users’ behavior and viewing habits and makes a call on how old they are. Instagram’s system errs on the side of caution, automatically switching on Teen Accounts if it detects teen vibes, regardless of the user’s stated birthdate.

Meta, which owns Instagram, also deploys facial age estimation from Yoti as part of its online safety package. Users can only remove Teen Accounts settings with permission from an adult. Yoti’s tech serves this purpose – meaning adults who are accidentally identified as teens can perform a quick facial age estimation to rectify the misidentification.

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

Nonetheless, both Google (which owns YouTube) and Meta have now launched age inference systems that analyze user data and behavior to categorize their age. Continued movement in this direction is bound to raise new concerns about data privacy, censorship and surveillance. Especially with features like the one accompanying Teen Accounts: automatic notifications on Instagram with “information on how to have conversations with their teens about the importance of listing the correct birthday on social media to ensure they have safe, age-appropriate experiences online.”

Giving parents more say in their kids’ online lives is frequently cited as a goal of online safety measures. But some parents may not like being lectured by a social media platform about how to coach their kids, especially as its parent company pushes ever-more invasive tech as the future.

Article Topics

age inference  |  age verification  |  biometrics  |  children  |  Instagram  |  Meta  |  social media