Meta is rolling out AI age checks on Instagram worldwide, so teens who gave a fake adult birthday may be moved into restricted Teen Accounts.
Instagram is about to get stricter with teens who lied about their age. Meta says it is expanding its AI age estimation tool worldwide. The tool looks for users who signed up with a fake adult birthday and moves those aged 13 to 17 into Teen Account protections. Meta says this will cover millions more teens.
Meta first launched the tool in the US, the EU and Brazil last year. Now it is going global. Meta has also started using Apple's age-range signal as an extra clue in Australia. The system also removes users it believes are under 13, the minimum age for Meta social accounts.
The tool does not rely on the birthday a person typed in. It looks for signals that suggest someone is under 18.
Teen Accounts are private by default. They limit the kind of content teens can see and stop strangers from sending them direct messages. Teens aged 16 or younger cannot change these settings without a parent's or guardian's permission. Parents can also choose to supervise the account, set time limits and monitor how their child uses Instagram.
Parents in the US will get a notice on Instagram next month. It will explain how age estimation works and how to make sure a teen's age is correct on the platform. A good first step is to talk with your teen about the age on their account and check their settings together.
Meta has not said how accurate the tool is. It has also not said when each country will see the change. The expansion follows a $17.1 billion lawsuit settlement in August, in which Meta agreed to strengthen its age checks and add heavier limits for teens. Automatic age checks on Facebook reached US accounts in May. Meta has not said if or when they will spread to other regions.
If a teen in your home signed up with a fake birthday, expect Instagram to move them to a Teen Account, and talk about it before it happens.
Disney+ is working on a free plan, more short clips and creator videos, according to a leaked internal deck. Here is what it could mean for your screen.
Read more: Disney+ plans a free tier, short videos and creator clipsMore than 200,000 tech jobs have been cut in 2026, and analysts warn that losses spreading to other industries could push the US toward a recession.
Read more: Tech Layoffs Top 200,000 This Year, and Some Fear More Job LossesA How-To Geek report says Windows 11 will soon let you silence the Sticky Keys pop-up without opening Settings, though no release date is given.
Read more: Windows 11 will let you silence the Sticky Keys pop-up faster
