Instagram has started to roll out a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to identify underage users. The social media company owned by Meta said that detected accounts will be instantly switched to “Teen Accounts,” a category with higher security but more limited functionality. The action follows increasing public and legislative pressure regarding the use of social sites to protect children.

With increasing mental health problems associated with exposure to online material, Instagram’s use of AI represents both a technological innovation and a regulatory imperative.

Protecting Teens in a Digital World

Meta, on 21 April, announced a big change to Instagram’s safety protocols, which will utilize artificial intelligence to identify users who may be underage, even if they have an adult birthday. The new method is presently being evaluated in the United States as part of a larger attempt to improve safety for young users. The AI tool uses behavioral cues such as content interaction patterns, account creation data, and profile characteristics to determine a user’s true age. If a user is suspected of being a teen, their account is instantly switched to Instagram’s Teen Account settings, which include stronger safety precautions.

These safeguards include regulating who can contact the teen and preventing access to mature content. Teen Accounts were introduced last year and are intended to provide a safer, more age-appropriate experience. To change these settings, users under the age of 16 must obtain parental clearance. While Instagram has previously employed AI for age identification, the platform claims that this proactive method represents a substantial breakthrough.

Until now, age verification was based primarily on self-reported data and occasional parental involvement, creating gaps enabling minors to access adult-level content. This shift comes as politicians in numerous states push for stronger online age verification, citing growing concerns about social media’s influence on teen mental health. Meta’s revised method tries to fill those loopholes and improve protections for younger audiences.

How Teen Accounts Work

Instagram has strengthened protections for younger people by automatically converting suspicious accounts into “Teen Accounts.” Accounts are private by default, and users can receive direct messages from the individuals that they follow. Sensitivities such as violence and cosmetic procedure advertising are restricted from both feeds and search results.

To promote better screen habits, teens receive notifications after 60 minutes of use, and a built-in “sleep mode” turns off notifications and activates auto-replies between 10 pm and 7 am Over 54 million teenagers worldwide presently use these accounts, with 97% of 13-15 year olds choosing to keep the safety safeguards activated. Meta created an AI model to detect probable age falsification by studying user behavior, interaction patterns, and account data. When reported, individuals are instantly assigned to a Teen Account to guarantee age-appropriate settings.

Meta developed Teen Accounts to address growing concerns about young users’ online safety, as they are more vulnerable to hazardous content and online predators. According to a Pew Research poll from 2022, 62% of 13 to 17-year-olds in the United States use Instagram. According to the American Psychological Association, kids spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, with 41% of high-usage teens reporting poor mental health.

A Forward-Looking Model

As platforms struggle with the twin challenges of user privacy and internet safety, Instagram’s AI-based approach could be a benchmark for the sector. Though not without its weaknesses, the technology represents a major step toward aligning user experience with actual age limits—something that is crucial in an online world dominated by children.