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Meta will use AI to analyze height and bone structure to identify if users are underage

TechCrunch · Aisha Malik · last updated

The visual analysis system is now operating in select countries, but Meta says it’s working toward a broader rollout.

Meta will start using AI to scan photos and videos for visual clues to see if a user is under 13 and should be removed from Facebook and Instagram, the company announced on Tuesday. These visual clues include a person’s height or bone structure, it said.

“We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition,” Meta explained in its blog post. “Our AI looks at general themes and visual cues, for example height or bone structure, to estimate someone’s general age; it does not identify the specific person in the image. By combining these visual insights with our analysis of text and interactions, we can significantly increase the number of underage accounts we identify and remove.

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