Like Discord, Instagram is now leaning on artificial intelligence to bolster the safety of minors on its platform. On Monday, April 21, the social media giant revealed the rollout of technology designed to identify teen accounts, even if those accounts claim to be held by adults.
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AI to Detect “Disguised” Accounts
Today, it can be challenging for parents to determine whether their teenager has circumvented platform rules. Instagram aims to address this by deploying AI that will proactively identify accounts it suspects are held by teens, even if the account lists an adult birthdate, according to a blog post from the company.
Once identified, the account is automatically switched to a “teen account” status, a category introduced last September. This status enforces additional restrictions for users under 18: limits on interactions, controlled recommendations, and enhanced privacy settings.
Testing Begins in the United States
The trial of this new technology is starting in the United States, where children under 14 are not permitted to open a social media account. As a reminder, in Europe, the minimum age to create an account is 13, subject to stricter regulations at the member state level. This is why the registration age is set at 15 in France under the digital majority law.
However, in practice, platforms have always struggled to implement a technical solution. Thus, the use of AI aims to fill this gap and the lack of systematic verification at the time of registration.
For Instagram, this also serves to reassure parents. They “often don’t have the time to check the settings of their child’s account,” the platform admits. It plans to send notifications to remind them of “the importance of indicating the correct age online” and to initiate discussions at home.
In practice, and from experience, if you’re already on social media, you might occasionally check the profile suggestions on your phone. Normally, the numbers of your relatives (and their photos) will appear, allowing you to spot any accounts your teen might have set up on the sly…
An Imperfect AI
Instagram acknowledges that its technology is not foolproof. The company has implemented safeguards to prevent errors and allow users to correct their profiles if their accounts are misclassified.
It remains to be seen if this algorithmic approach will be enough to curb misuse, in a context of increasing pressure on social networks to better protect minors online. Eventually, Meta plans to extend this technology to Facebook and Messenger, where “teen accounts” have already been mandatory since early April.
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We are launching Teen Accounts on Instagram to reassure parents about the safety of their teen’s experiences with built-in protections automatically activated.
These accounts limit interactions with the teen and the content they see to ensure quality time on the platform.
Teens under 16 need a parent’s permission to relax the built-in protections of Teen Accounts.
We are launching Teen Accounts on Instagram today, a service designed for teens under parental supervision. Teen Accounts come with built-in protections that limit interactions and visible content while offering new ways to explore interests. We will automatically assign a Teen Account to teens, and those under 16 will need a parent’s permission to adjust associated settings.