Facebook and Instagram are using AI bone structure analysis to identify photos of kids

Meta is deploying AI-powered bone structure analysis to detect and remove underage users from Facebook and Instagram, alongside expanded automated age verification systems that place users 13-17 into restricted Teen Accounts. This development reflects growing regulatory pressure on social platforms to protect minors and signals an industry-wide shift toward biometric and behavioral AI for age verification—creating new compliance, privacy, and operational requirements for enterprise IT organizations managing similar identity verification infrastructure. Technology leaders should anticipate increased investment in AI-driven content moderation, age verification APIs, and privacy-preserving analytics capabilities, as well as heightened scrutiny around data retention and algorithmic bias in age-detection systems.

Emma RothThe VergeMay 5, 20262 min read

Facebook and Instagram have a new way to detect and remove users under 13: AI bone structure analysis. In a blog post on Tuesday, Meta - Facebook and Instagram's parent company - says its AI system will scan photos and videos posted to its platforms for "general themes and visual cues," including height and bone structure. "We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition," Meta says in the blog post, adding that it "does not identify the specific person in the image." This system is part of Meta's efforts to keep kids under 13 off its platforms, and will also analyze posts, comments, bios, and captions to search for "contextual clues" t … Read the full story at The Verge.