Meta is expanding worldwide a technology that uses AI to estimate the actual age of Instagram users. It automatically applies protective measures, including limiting message receipt and content exposure, if an account registered as an adult is suspected of being used by a teenager.

TechCrunch reported on Nov. 9 that Meta announced it would expand Instagram’s AI-based age estimation technology globally. The aim is to proactively identify whether a user is a teenager even if the user enters a false date of birth, and to provide an age-appropriate account environment.

Meta has already operated the technology in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, and expanded it this year to the European Union’s 27 countries and Brazil. It expected additional protective features to be applied to millions of teenagers worldwide through the latest step.

Teen accounts are set to private by default. Direct messages can be received only from users the account follows or is already connected with. Exposure to harmful comments and sensitive content is also limited. Users under 16 need parental permission to loosen some protective settings.

Information across a profile is used for age estimation. The AI analyses clues that can indicate age, such as birthday congratulatory posts and posts mentioning school grade. It also uses posts and comments, profile bios, and visual characteristics appearing in photos and videos.

Meta explained, however, that it does not use facial recognition or biometric analysis to identify people in photos. It says it analyses general visual patterns that indicate the possibility of being a minor.

Meta is also expanding age estimation technology to Facebook and plans to start a global rollout of similar technology on Threads within this year.

The move came after a major U.S. lawsuit settlement over teen protection issues. Meta reached a settlement of up to $18 billion, about 24.25 trillion won, with attorneys general from 52 U.S. states and territories in August, and agreed to strengthen technology to identify children under 13 and teenagers.

Meta plans from this month to guide U.S. parents through videos in Instagram feeds on how age verification works and what protective features are available. In Australia, it is also additionally using information on users’ age ranges provided by Apple.