Meta expands AI-based age verification tool globally, including India, to protect teens on Instagram

Meta has announced the global expansion of its artificial intelligence-based age verification tool, including a rollout in India, aimed at ensuring age-appropriate protections for teenagers on Instagram.

According to the company, the technology is designed to identify users who may be teens even if they have registered with an adult date of birth, subsequently placing them into protective teen accounts. Meta stated that the decision follows encouraging results from initial implementations of the system.

The AI model determines whether a user is an adult aged 18 or older, or a teen between the ages of 13 and 17, by analyzing behavioral signals that are common across various ages and countries. For instance, the model looks at how individuals within the same age bracket interact with certain types of content. The platform regularly updates these signals to maintain the accuracy of the model.

The approach has drawn commentary from digital privacy experts. Aparajita Bharti, Founding Partner at TQH (The Quantum Hub), noted that age estimation has historically been a difficult problem globally, with most solutions prone to circumvention. She stated that analyzing revealed behavior and multiple signals over a period can offer a more reliable method for the proactive detection of minors, adding that this aligns with exemptions under schedule 4 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules.

Alongside the global AI rollout, the platform is introducing region-specific features. In the United States, Instagram is launching an in-feed video for parents to explain platform protections, which links to an informational article by Larry Magid, President and CEO of ConnectSafely. Meanwhile, in Australia, Instagram has begun integrating Apple’s age-range signal, which utilizes information established when parents set up a smartphone to help app stores confirm device-user age ranges.

"As digital platforms face increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding user safety, implementing behavioral AI models for age verification represents a significant shift in compliance strategy. For businesses and technology startups navigating data privacy laws like India's DPDP rules, relying on behavioral patterns rather than intrusive identity documents offers a practical compliance pathway that balances user privacy with regulatory mandates." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes