Meta is rolling out a new AI‑driven filter aimed at booting users under 13 from Facebook and Instagram. The system scans profile text for clues like school grades or birthday mentions and then runs visual analysis on photos and videos, looking for cues such as height or bone structure to estimate age. It does not employ facial recognition, so no personal identity is stored.

Deployments begin in select markets while Meta refines the model. When the AI flags a likely minor, the account is deactivated and the user must submit proof of age to regain access; otherwise the profile is erased. The same technology powers a teen‑account routing for 13‑to‑15‑year‑olds, first on Instagram in Brazil and 27 EU nations, and on Facebook in the US, EU, and UK.

Regulators have been pressing Meta after the European Commission’s preliminary Digital Services Act probe suggested the company fell short on child protection. By blending text cues with visual age estimation, Meta hopes to meet legal expectations and reduce the need for manual moderation. The approach marks a broader shift toward algorithmic enforcement of platform age policies.