Meta uses AI visual analysis of height and bone structure to detect and remove underage users from Facebook and Instagram

Meta announced it is using AI visual analysis to scan photos and videos for indicators like height and bone structure to estimate user age and identify accounts belonging to children under 13 on Facebook and Instagram. The company says this is “not facial recognition” because the AI looks at general themes and visual cues to estimate age rather than identifying specific individuals, and is combining this with text and interaction analysis to increase the number of underage accounts it can detect. Suspected underage accounts will be deactivated, requiring users to prove they are 13 or older to regain access, or have their account wiped. The expansion comes after the European Commission released preliminary findings last week indicating that Meta may be in breach of the Digital Services Act by failing to do enough to keep children off its platforms.