Meta announced Monday that it will roll out its age-estimation technology globally. The move puts millions more teens around the world into Teen Accounts settings on Instagram, the company said in a blog post. 

In April 2025, Meta began using AI technology to detect teens on Instagram, even if they'd used an adult age upon opening an account. Once identified, teens are proactively put into Meta's safest settings, which are designed to limit inappropriate content. 

This month, parents in the U.S. will begin seeing a video in their Instagram feed explaining how teens are placed in age-appropriate protections.

"We’ll continue to do our part to proactively ensure teens are in age-appropriate experiences on our apps," the blog post said.

Still, Meta has spent the year under fire for its ability to protect young users. 

In March, the company lost a case brought by the state of New Mexico, which alleged that Meta's design features helped pedophiles sexually exploit children on Meta platforms. A jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about endangering children and the safety of its platforms. Meta, which said it would fight the decision, was ordered to pay nearly $950 billion in related penalties. 

In August, Meta made a $12 billion settlement with dozens of state attorneys general in a trial over whether the social media company had designed addictive platforms.

As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to implement new platform design features and recommit to industry-standard child safety measures, including daily time limits, screen time options like night mode, and stronger age assurance measures.

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