Meta's $18 billion settlement bets on AI to tell which users are kids, raising new privacy questions for kids and adults alike
Of the child safety measures agreed to in Meta’s landmark legal settlement, no category contains more detailed requirements than its commitments on age assurance — and for good reason. No matter how well the protections work, they are of little use if Meta can’t tell which users are kids.
TL;DR
- Meta's $18 billion legal settlement prioritizes age assurance, requiring the company to accurately identify child users across its platforms.
- Age determination is a critical component of child safety measures being implemented by companies like Google, TikTok, and Roblox.
- Meta has a year to refine its age assurance approach, with limited options and steep challenges related to privacy implications for both children and adults.
- The settlement resolves claims that Meta's platforms hurt children's mental health by design.
- Methods for age assurance include AI analysis of user activity and content, government-issued IDs, and video selfies.
- AI age checks use contextual clues such as posts, interactions, and login times, while also analyzing photos for visual cues.
- Third-party companies like Yoti and Persona are involved in age verification, using methods like video selfies.
- Roblox requires video selfies for age estimation to allow users to chat, deleting videos after processing.
- Concerns exist regarding the reliability of facial age estimation tools, particularly for certain demographics.
- Meta and others argue that app store owners should handle age verification, a proposal opposed by Apple and Google.
- Critics warn that online age verification could lead to a less secure, private, and free internet, potentially restricting access to information and free speech.
- Digital rights groups like the EFF express concern about "age-gating the internet" and the risks associated with collecting sensitive personal information.