Instagram’s parent company Meta is stepping up efforts to ensure younger users can’t lie about their age to gain access to its social media platform. Instagram, in particular, has come under scrutiny for its effects on adolescent mental health, and Meta is responding with a new AI-powered tool called the “adult classifier” to more accurately check users’ true ages.

This tool uses artificial intelligence to analyze users’ online behaviors and other profile information to estimate their age. It takes into account factors such as who follows the user, the type of content they interact with, and even comments such as birthday messages from friends. If the classifier detects that a user is likely under 18, it will automatically switch them to a “teen account”. These accounts have more restricted privacy settings, such as limiting who can message the user and filtering the type of content they can see.

Currently, Instagram already requires users to declare their age when signing up, but children often lie to access adult content or to avoid parental restrictions. Early next year, the adult classifier will begin searching for users who may have lied about their age. All users under 18 will be placed in teen accounts, but 16 and 17 year olds will be able to adjust these settings if they want more flexibility, while younger teens will need parental permission.

Meta’s decision is part of a broader effort to protect teens from potentially harmful content on social media, especially as it faces legal challenges and criticism from attorneys general and parents who say the platform is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people. The company also faced backlash when a whistleblower, Frances Haugen, revealed internal documents showing the possible negative impacts of Instagram on teenage girls.

Instagram’s stricter age verification approach may help reduce the number of underage users who lie about their age, but Meta acknowledges that it won’t entirely solve the problem. Teens who attempt to circumvent age restrictions by adjusting their profile information will need to verify their age with an ID or via video selfie with a third-party age verification service.

Some experts suggest that app stores like Google Play and Apple could take more responsibility for age verification, although these companies say this could compromise user data privacy. In the meantime, Meta hopes its new AI tools will help create a safer environment for teens on Instagram.