Meta Platforms is expanding its checks on underage users, with new safeguards for teen accounts across Europe and into the United States.
The company said on Tuesday it will apply its latest detection tools in 27 European Union countries and also bring the system to Facebook in the US for the first time, with the UK and EU rollout on that platform set to follow in June.
This builds on earlier work to identify teenagers even when they enter false birth dates. Meta has been testing systems that flag accounts it believes belong to younger users and then apply stricter settings automatically.
“This technology will be expanded to 27 countries in the European Union. Meta is also expanding this technology to Facebook in the United States for the first time, with the UK and EU to follow in June,” the company said in a blog post.
Pressure has been growing on technology firms to show how they protect young users. Regulators and parents have complained about harmful content, online abuse and the effect of social media on teenagers.
Meta says it now relies more on artificial intelligence to assess whether an account belongs to a minor. The system does not depend only on the date of birth entered by users. Instead, it reviews activity across profiles.
That includes posts, comments, captions and other signals. For example, references to school life or birthday celebrations may point to a younger age. The company has also added visual analysis, allowing its systems to review images and videos for general age cues.
Meta stressed that the technology is not facial recognition, saying the system looks at broad features, not identity.
If an account is judged to be underage, it may be deactivated, while the user would then need to prove their age to restore access. Meta is also trying to stop repeat attempts by users it believes are below the minimum age.
At the same time, Meta is expanding its “Teen Account” settings. These place limits on who can contact younger users and the type of content they see. Accounts suspected to belong to teenagers are moved into these settings by default.
The company further revealed it has already enrolled hundreds of millions of users into these protections across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger since 2024.
For parents, Meta will begin sending notifications in the US with guidance on how to check a teenager’s age settings. The messages will include advice on discussing honest age reporting online.
“We’re continuing to strengthen our underage enforcement measures by using AI to remove people under 13 from our services.”
Meta added that age verification is an industry problem. It said app stores should take a stronger role by confirming users’ ages and sharing that information with developers.
Driving its own systems, Meta plans to expand the technology further this year, aiming for more global coverage.
