Meta Expands Teen Account Protections on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger

Meta is expanding its AI technology worldwide to identify teens who may have misrepresented their age online and place them in Teen Account protections.

Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger include built-in safeguards that limit who can contact teens, the content they see and the time they spend on the apps. Meta says ensuring teens receive those protections depends on accurately determining their age—a challenge across the industry, as some young users may enter an adult birthday to access age-restricted experiences.

The company uses AI to identify people it suspects are teens, including those who have registered with an adult birth date. Meta says it has placed more teens in age-appropriate settings since introducing the technology and is now expanding it globally.

The rollout means millions more teens worldwide who use Instagram will receive the platform’s built-in protections, even if they have misrepresented their age. Meta says the approach is intended to give parents greater peace of mind by proactively applying safeguards regardless of where families live.

Meta is continuing to roll out the technology on Facebook. Later this year, it plans to begin launching similar technology globally on Threads.