RismadarVoice Reporters, August 31, 2026
Meta has agreed to introduce stronger measures to verify the ages of users on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, following an $18 billion multistate settlement in the United States over allegations that the company’s social media services contributed to harmful effects on children.
The settlement requires Meta to improve its systems for identifying underage users and introduce additional protections for teenagers, while avoiding strict verification methods such as mandatory government-issued identification checks or video selfie submissions.
Under the agreement, Meta will implement measures targeting users below 18 years, including daily usage limits and restrictions on push notifications during night hours. The company will also strengthen efforts to identify children below the age of 13 who may be using its platforms in violation of existing policies.
Meta’s current approach to age detection relies largely on behavioural and contextual signals, including birthday messages, school-related posts and other online activities that may indicate a user’s age. The company has previously acknowledged that some younger users provide false ages when creating accounts.
The settlement will require Meta to conduct additional checks, including reviewing networks connected to suspected underage accounts and making it easier for users to report accounts believed to belong to children.
The agreement also permits Meta to temporarily use data from identified child accounts to train artificial intelligence systems designed to detect users below the age of 13 in the future.
However, the company faces legal challenges in implementing stronger age verification systems due to privacy regulations, particularly the United States’ Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which limits the collection of personal information from children without parental consent.
Meta and other technology companies have argued that collecting information such as identification documents, biometric data or detailed online records could create legal risks under existing privacy laws.
Child protection advocates, however, have argued that social media companies should take greater responsibility for preventing children from accessing platforms designed for older users.
The settlement follows several legal actions against Meta, including claims that the company designed its platforms in ways that encouraged excessive use among young people.
Legal experts said the agreement attempts to balance stronger child safety measures with privacy protections by requiring improved age assurance systems without forcing Meta to collect large amounts of sensitive personal information.
The company will also face an independent review of its efforts to verify users’ ages and comply with the terms of the settlement.
