Instagram is trying out a new way to check if kids are being truthful about their age on the app. The parent company, Meta Platforms, announced that they are using artificial intelligence to verify the ages of users. This technology will help Instagram identify teen accounts that may have entered incorrect birthdates during sign-up.

If a user is found to be misrepresenting their age, their account will automatically be categorized as a teen account. This type of account has stricter restrictions compared to adult accounts. For example, teen accounts are set to private by default, restricting who can send private messages to the user. They will also have limited access to certain types of content, like videos showing violence or promoting cosmetic procedures. Additionally, teens will receive notifications if they spend more than 60 minutes on Instagram and a “sleep mode” will be activated from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., turning off notifications and sending automatic replies to messages.

Meta explained that their AI technology analyzes various signals, such as the content interacted with, profile information, and account creation date, to determine the user’s age. These new measures come as social media platforms face criticism for their impact on the mental health of younger users. Some states are considering age verification laws, but these have been met with legal challenges.

Meta and other social media companies advocate for app stores to take responsibility for verifying users’ ages. Instagram plans to send notifications to parents, providing guidance on discussing the importance of truthful age representation online with their teens.