Meta is now using AI to find kids who lie about their age to get around safety rules on Instagram. If Meta thinks an account really belongs to a teenager, even if it says the person is an adult, it will automatically put that account into a special Teen Account with stricter safety rules.

Teen Accounts, which started on Instagram last year, are made for young users and come with built-in safety features. These features turn on automatically and help protect teens by limiting who can message them and what kind of content they can see. If a teen is under 16, they need their parents’ permission to change any of these settings. Instagram has been using AI to guess people’s ages for a while. Now, the app says it’s using this technology to make sure teens are using Teen Accounts, not adult ones.

Instagram says that it’s taking steps to make sure its technology is accurate and that teens are correctly placed into Teen Accounts. However, if the company makes a mistake, users will have the option to change their settings.

Instagram also said it will start sending messages to parents with information on how to talk to their teens about the importance of giving their real age online. The platform says one of the best ways for parents to help is by checking if their teen’s account shows the correct birthday.

Meta is now using AI to detect kids who lie about their age on Instagram to bypass safety rules. If the system believes an account belongs to a teen, even if it lists an adult age, it will automatically move the account into a Teen Account. These accounts, launched last year, include built-in protections like limiting who can contact the teen and restricting certain types of content. Teens under 16 need parental permission to change any of these settings.

Instagram says it’s working to improve the accuracy of its technology and will allow users to adjust settings if mistakes happen. The platform also plans to send messages to parents, encouraging them to talk to their teens about being honest about their age online. One key way parents can help is by checking that their teen’s birthday is listed correctly on their account.