In a move aimed at strengthening its commitment to protecting young users, Meta (previously Facebook) has announced the global rollout of an automated age-estimation technology. Starting this month, Instagram accounts will be subjected to these AI-powered scans, with plans to extend the feature to Facebook and Threads later in the year. This decision comes amidst mounting criticism regarding the platforms' failure to safeguard teenagers from online harms, as well as billion-dollar legal settlements. The technology analyzes user behavior and posts to estimate age, helping Meta place more teens under age-appropriate protections. These protections include limitations on contact, content, and usage time, aiming to create a safer environment for teenagers. Concerns have been raised about minors bypassing parental controls by providing false birthdates during account setup, leading to potential exposure to harmful content. The age-estimation algorithm is already being tested in several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The implementation of this feature will automatically categorize accounts based on estimated age, even if a manually entered birthday was used to falsely indicate adulthood. Meta has different age categories with varying restrictions; for instance, children under 13 years are banned from using the apps. Teenagers face time limits and muted notifications at night, as well as a two-hour daily usage limit and blocks on social comparison features like likes and reactions to other teen accounts. As Meta faces growing legal action over its impact on teenagers, the company has agreed to pay $18 billion to US states to implement changes that can only be removed by parents or guardians. These changes include limiting under-18 users to two hours a day, enforcing a nighttime curfew, and restricting social comparison features. The new automated age estimation is part of Meta's call for other industry leaders like TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar practices to ensure teenagers' safety online.