Meta has announced new initiatives to increase teen participation in its protective Teen Account settings across its platforms, combining artificial intelligence technology with parental engagement strategies.

The tech giant has begun testing AI technology in the U.S. designed to proactively identify accounts suspected of belonging to teenagers, even when registered with adult birthdates. The system will automatically place these accounts into Teen Account protective settings.

“We’ve been using artificial intelligence to help determine age ranges for some time, but leveraging it in this way is a big change,” Meta states in its announcement. The company emphasizes that users will have options to change settings if the AI misidentifies an account.

Simultaneously, Meta is deploying notifications to parents on Instagram with guidance about discussing accurate age reporting with teens. The company collaborated with pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to develop conversation strategies for parents to check and confirm their teens’ ages across Meta’s applications.

Teen Accounts Show Strong Adoption

According to Meta, at least 54 million active Teen Accounts exist globally, with 97% of teens aged 13-15 choosing to maintain the default protections. These accounts feature built-in safeguards limiting contacts, content visibility, and online time.

Recent survey research commissioned by Meta shows 94% of U.S. parents find Teen Accounts helpful, with over 90% viewing the default protections as beneficial for supporting teens on Instagram.

Platform Expansion Continues

Meta recently extended Teen Account protections to Facebook and Messenger in several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The expansion follows Instagram’s implementation of Teen Accounts last year.

The initiative comes as Instagram maintains its position as the most-used social app among U.S. teens, according to a recent Piper Sandler report, which surveyed over 13,000 teenagers.