Meta wants to scan kids' height and bone structure to verify their age (www.techradar.com)

Meta has announced the rollout of new AI-driven age verification tools for its platforms, Instagram and Facebook, which are intended to ensure compliance with regulations that protect children from harmful content. This system employs a "visual analysis" method that assesses physical characteristics such as height and bone structure to estimate users' ages without using facial recognition technology. Users suspected of being under the age of 13 will have their accounts deactivated until they can provide proof of age through a dedicated verification process. This initiative is significant for the AI/ML community as it demonstrates the expanding application of AI in social media age verification, responding to increasing regulatory pressures. Meta’s approach includes leveraging contextual clues from user profiles in conjunction with visual analysis, a technique that may set a precedent for how other companies address similar challenges. Moreover, the emphasis on improving online safety for teens reflects broader industry trends toward responsible AI deployment while raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of such measures in protecting minors online.