Faced with the growing challenge of regulating minors' access to social media, a major strategic divergence is emerging between Europe and the United States. While the French Constitutional Council recently struck down legislation that would have mandated systematic identity verification, citing a disproportionate infringement on privacy, Meta has opted for a different technological approach. As part of a massive $18 billion settlement reached with 48 U.S. states, the tech giant has committed to drastically strengthening its detection of minor users, opting for an AI-based system instead of collecting official identity documents.
The system deployed by Meta relies not on formal verification, but on probabilistic estimation. The algorithm combines behavioral cues, such as login patterns or friend networks, with visual analysis of shared content. By examining morphological characteristics, such as bone structure, the tool attempts to assess the user's age without requiring nominative identification. This mechanism is a response to accusations from U.S. prosecutors, who argued that platforms like Instagram and Facebook were deliberately designed to capture young people's attention at the risk of harming their mental health.
The stakes of this agreement are as technical as they are structural. Meta must now submit to rigorous external audits and implement a cascading mechanism: as soon as a user under 13 is identified and banned, the system must automatically verify the age of their entire friend circle. This obligation shifts the burden of responsibility onto the platforms themselves. Nevertheless, the company continues to advocate for a solution offloaded to mobile app stores—an option currently rejected by players like Google, who point out the logical flaws of such a measure for shared devices or pre-installed software.
Beyond this private initiative, the issue of protecting minors remains a complex global equation. Countries like Australia, and certain European nations like France and Spain, are struggling to find the balance between securing digital spaces and respecting individual liberties. Between the failure of mandatory legislative attempts and the implementation of AI-based surveillance tools, the debate persists: how can we ensure the safety of the youngest users without turning every individual, regardless of age, into a permanent suspect whose biometric or behavioral data becomes a potential target for massive leaks?