Meta to use AI to remove under-13 users from social media platforms

Meta has announced that it plans to use AI to check the ages of its young users with a view to removing children under 13. The AI-supported software will analyse not only text-based profile data but also the context of images, comments and videos (reels) on the company's platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp. Meta will also use AI to identify teenagers up to the age of 17 who have misrepresented themselves as adult.

Those affected will be able to contest decisions and provide proof of age through identity documents. If a fake age is detected, the profiles will be switched to teen accounts.

The European Commission recently accused Meta of failing to adequately protect young people. Brussels demands that Instagram and Facebook also implement the minimum age of 13, failing which it will impose a large fine.

Over the longer term, the commission is requiring all social media platforms to use an EU app for age verification. Meta instead advocates central age verification when setting up a smartphone at the operating system or app store level, rather than leaving checking to each separate app.

Discussions are going on in EU countries such as Austria, France and Spain on a complete social media ban for young people from a certain age, with 15 or 16 under consideration. 

Australia has also imposed a ban of this kind.