New ‘advanced detection’ AI tools set to crack down on Aussie teen social media accountsKids who think they can skirt Australia’s world-first social media ban have been put on notice after this move by a global tech giant.Jack Nivison2 min readMay 6, 2026 - 10:41AMNewsWireSocial media giant Meta will use AI to trawl through accounts for posts about birthdays and school grades to shut down underage users.Meta plans to introduce a raft of initiatives, including AI-powered textual and visual analysis technology capable of picking up “contextual clues” left behind by teenagers on their Instagram and Facebook accounts in a bid to comply with Australia’s world-first social media ban for under 16s.New tools will comb through social media profiles looking for ‘clues’ of a child user. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NewsWireA Meta spokeswoman said the built-in AI would be able to “analyse entire profiles for contextual clues, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades, across posts, comments, bios and captions to determine if an account likely belongs to someone underage”.“(AI will scan) photos and videos for visual clues about a person’s age that text might miss, such as height or face size,” the spokeswoman said.“Meta will begin testing this in the US with plans to expand globally for under 13s over the coming months, with under 16s in Australia to follow.The changes will be implemented in Australia in the coming months. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NewsWire“If we determine an account may be underage, it will be deactivated and the account holder will need to verify their age to continue using their account.”Others you may likenewsnewsMeta vice-president and global head of safety Antigone Davis said the company had “invested heavily in AI-powered technology to find and remove underage accounts” from all platforms owned by the company, including Instagram and Facebook.“These new measures represent a significant step forward in our ability to keep young people safe. In Australia, we are committed to complying with the social media ban and are extending these advanced detection tools to under 16s in the coming weeks and months,” she said.“While we believe these tools make a real difference, we continue to believe the most effective approach to age assurance is verification at the app store level giving parents a single, consistent place to manage their children’s access to all apps rather than requiring each app to solve this complex challenge independently.”Meta’s Antigone Davis said the new changes would ‘make a real difference’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin OllmanAustralia’s social media ban took effect on December 10 last year after consistent lobbying from News Corp’s Let Them be Kids campaign exposed the heartbreaking stories of families who had lost their children to extreme cases of cyberbullying.The ban bars all Australian children under the age of 16 from using platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook.Critics of the ban, such as the Human Rights Law Centre, believe it places a strain on a child’s ability to access information and learn media literacy and have also strongly refuted its enforceability.Supporters of the ban say it will prevent children from being cyberbullied and keep them away from harmful algorithms.More related storiesTechnology‘Ten years to get help’: Google doctor’s mental health fightTech giant Google believes artificial intelligence could save lives as it unveils new crisis support features. But can bots really bridge Australia’s widening mental health chasm?Read moreRetailOnline mattress giant slapped with $15m fineA bedding company best known for its “bed-in-a-box” mattress has copped a massive fine after an Australian court found it had misled customers about bogus sales and discounts.Read moreSocial MediaMeta sacks thousands in $189 billion moveFacebook and Instagram owner Meta will cut a tenth of its entire workforce, according to a devastating staff memo.Read more