After taking a big hit: Meta's steps to protect young users
Meta is globally expanding its AI age-detection technology, which will move millions of teenagers to protected youth accounts on Instagram and Facebook, even if they claimed to be adults. The system will filter sensitive content, block messages from strangers, and limit browsing time. The move comes amid heavy legal pressure in the US.
Meta is expanding worldwide its artificial intelligence age-detection technology, which will move millions of teenagers to protected youth accounts even if they claimed to be adults. The system will filter sensitive content, block messages from strangers, and limit browsing time on Instagram and Facebook. The move follows massive court settlements in the United States and lawsuits over harm to mental health. As part of the initiative, profiles become private by default, and the ability to receive direct messages from strangers is blocked. Additionally, strict filtering removes sensitive content and encouragement of eating disorders, along with disabling notifications at night and limiting daily browsing time to one hour. Meta recently signed a historic $17.5 billion settlement agreement with 52 state attorneys general in the United States. The company has begun testing cooperation with Apple in Australia and called on competitors like TikTok and YouTube to align.