Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger provide teens with a set of built-in protections that automatically limit who can contact them, the content they see, and their time on Meta’s apps. The company is now expanding Teen Account Protections globally.
We’re expanding the AI technology we use to help ensure teens are in the right experiences for their age globally. https://t.co/G97qdcqJOO
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) November 9, 2026
Teen Account Protections expanded
Expansion of AI age-estimation technology
Ensuring all teens receive these protections depends on knowing their age. This can sometimes be problematic, as some teens may misrepresent their age online to access experiences they’re not old enough to use.
Meta uses AI technology to find people they suspect to be teens, even if they use an adult birthday, and place them in Teen Account protections. With this technology, the company has been placing more teens in age-appropriate protections and is encouraged by the results. Based on that success, Meta is expanding this technology globally.
As a result, millions more teens across the world who use Instagram will receive these built-in protections, even if they’ve misrepresented their age. The company will continue to roll this technology out on Facebook and, later this year, it will begin launching similar technology globally on Threads.
Continued partnership with Parents
This month, parents in the US will begin to see an in-feed video on Instagram explaining Meta’s approach to ensuring their teens are in age-appropriate protections. The video will link to an article detailing its multi-layered age assurance approach, which includes keeping children under 13 off its platforms, providing age-appropriate experiences for teens, and informing parents about ways they can partner with Meta to ensure their teens provide the correct age online.
Using Apple’s age-range signal
In Australia, Meta has begun using Apple’s age-range signal as another method to help understand age.
When a parent sets up a smartphone for their teen, they have the option for the app store to confirm the age of the person using the device and assign them an age range. Then, each time the teen downloads an app, Apple passes that age range to the developer, confirming whether the teen meets the app’s age requirement.
Meta is voluntarily using this signal, but as long as collecting it and sharing it remains optional for app stores, and using it remains optional for developers, teens will receive inconsistent protections across the many apps they use.
Furthermore, as part of the company’s agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general across US states, territories, and the District of Columbia, it is investing in even stronger technology to proactively catch accounts that may belong to children under 13.
Meta is also strengthening the technology it uses to identify accounts that may belong to teens between the ages of 13 and 17 so it can ensure those accounts are placed in experiences designed for teens, even if they give an adult birthday. The company is also calling on TikTok and YouTube, to adopt these same practices to keep teens safe.
