Instagram's AI Detects Teens Who Lie About Their Age and Moves Them into Teen Accounts

Instagram is stepping up efforts to protect teenagers by using artificial intelligence to spot underage users trying to get around age rules. Meta, the company behind Instagram, says the platform will now automatically move suspected teen users into safer, more restricted Teen Accounts—even if they signed up with a fake birthdate that says they're an adult.

This is part of a bigger push to make Instagram safer for younger users. The app has used AI in the past to estimate someone's age, but now it's taking things further. Instead of waiting for someone to report an account, Instagram is proactively looking for signs that a user might be a teenager, even if they claim to be over 18.

How Instagram's AI spots underage users

Meta trains its AI system to look for clues that might reveal someone's real age. These include things like how they use the app, what kind of content they engage with, what their profile says, and even how people interact with them—especially on their birthday.

For example, if someone gets a bunch of "Happy 17th Birthday" messages in the comments or DMs, that's a big red flag. Even if the messages are vague but follow patterns that are common among younger users, the AI will take notice.

What are Teen Accounts?

Teen Accounts were introduced on Instagram to offer more protection for young users. They limit who can send DMs, reduce exposure to sensitive content, and mute notifications at night. If a user is under 16, parental approval is required to change any of these settings.

Accounts flagged as underage are automatically switched to this safer mode—even if they originally signed up as adults. The goal is to reduce unwanted contact, promote healthy screen habits, and give teens a more age-appropriate experience.

Some of the restrictions include:

Making the account private (if it's not already)
Blocking messages from unknown adults
Filtering out content related to violence or cosmetic procedures
Sending a reminder when the app is used for more than an hour a day
Turning on "sleep mode" between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. to silence alerts and auto-reply to messages

But what if the AI gets it wrong?

AI can be helpful, but it's not perfect. Some parents may welcome the extra protection for their teens, but others might worry about mistakes—like adult users being wrongly flagged as teens.

In those cases, Instagram says users will be able to update their date of birth in settings. However, simply changing the date isn't always enough. If the platform still suspects you're underage, you may be asked to verify your age using a government-issued ID or another approved method, such as a video selfie.

In short, you can't switch back to an adult account unless you prove your real age.

What should parents do

Meta, the company behind Instagram, says it's important for parents to talk to their teens about using their real age on social media. To help with that, Instagram will start sending notifications to parents with tips on how to have these conversations.

Checking that your teen's account has the correct birthdate is one of the easiest ways to make sure they're getting the right level of protection.

This update follows Meta's decision to roll out Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger as well. According to the company, more than 54 million teens have been enrolled in Teen Accounts so far—and 97% of users aged 13 to 15 have stayed in these safer profiles.

As social media keeps changing, so do the tools designed to keep kids safe. Meta says it wants to work with families to make sure teens can enjoy the platform—without being exposed to things they're not ready for.

If you need extra help, Bitdefender Parental Control can support you with internet time limits, content filters, location tracking, and insights into your child's online activities on all social media, not just Instagram. It's included in all Bitdefender paid security solutions; you only have to download it on your child's devices and use it.

FAQ

1. What is a Teen Account on Instagram and how does it work?

A Teen Account is a version of Instagram designed specifically for users under 18. It includes automatic safety and privacy features, such as limiting who can message the teen, hiding sensitive content, setting the account to private by default, and muting notifications at night. Teens under 16 need a parent's permission to change these settings.

2. How does Instagram know if a user is lying about their age?

Instagram uses artificial intelligence to look for clues that someone might be younger than the age listed on their profile. This includes analyzing account activity, profile details, and how others interact with the user—especially around birthdays. If the system suspects someone is underage, it automatically switches them to a Teen Account.

3. What can I do if Instagram mistakenly puts my account into a Teen Account?

If Instagram flags your account as belonging to a teen, you won't be able to switch back to an adult account manually. To regain full access, you'll need to update your date of birth and may be asked to verify your age with a government ID or another approved method, like a video selfie. Once your age is confirmed, Instagram will remove the Teen Account restrictions.