Technologies

Meta Will Use AI to Place Teens Into Stricter Account Settings

The company may override user-provided ages if it suspects the account belongs to a teen.

Meta is expanding its age-verification tools by using AI to detect teenaged users and then automatically placing them into more restrictive Teen Account settings even if the user entered an adult birthday.

The company said in a blog post Monday that it will proactively identify accounts it suspects belong to teens and move them into these stricter settings. It acknowledged the system may make mistakes, and users will have the ability to adjust their settings back if needed.

«We’ve been using artificial intelligence to determine age for some time, but leveraging it in this way is a big change,» Meta said.

This move is part of a broader effort by Meta and other social media platforms to better protect young users amid growing pressure from parents and lawmakers who argue that tech companies aren’t doing enough to safeguard the safety and mental health of teens.

Instagram Teen Accounts, which launched last year, include built-in protections that limit who can contact teens, what content they can see and how long they can spend on the platform. Last year, the company automatically enabled these safety features for all teen users, requiring parental or guardian approval for anyone under 16 to make changes.

The company said about 97% of users under 16 keep these protections in place. It also recently extended the Teen Account experience to Facebook and Messenger.

Meta said it will begin sending notifications to Instagram parents with information about why it’s important to talk with their teens about providing accurate age information online.

«Understanding the age of people online is an industry-wide challenge,» the company said. «We’ll continue our efforts to help ensure teens are placed in age-appropriate online experiences, like Teen Accounts, but the most effective way to understand age is by obtaining parental approval and verifying age on the app store.»

Although some organizations have applauded these types of age verification methods, others like Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public, call the privacy implications «frightening.»

«For AI to be effective at determining user age, it would have to know more than it should, especially for a newer user with a limited digital footprint,» she said. «We need to see social apps do more to protect all users from invasive algorithms and harassment rather than focus on age-gating.»

Technologies

The Fourth Episode of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Out

Verum Messenger has released the fourth episode of its AI mini-series SHADOWS, created using Verum AI. The new episode, titled “No Borders,” continues the story of a team trying to stay out of the OMEGA corporation’s sight.

Following the events of the previous episodes, the team moves between cities and countries while OMEGA continues its search. The new episode puts particular emphasis on Verum Messenger’s capabilities that allow users to conceal their location.

“No Borders” is another chapter in a story about privacy, freedom of communication, and technologies that erase borders between people.

The VERUM AI mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 4 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube