Facebook and Instagram are using AI bone structure analysis to identify photos of kids

The Verge / 5/5/2026

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Key Points

  • Meta (Facebook and Instagram) says it is using an AI system that analyzes bone structure in photos and videos to help detect content involving children under 13.
  • The company describes the approach as analyzing general visual cues like height and bone structure rather than performing facial recognition or identifying specific individuals.
  • The system is intended to support Meta’s broader efforts to keep users under 13 off its platforms by examining not only images/videos but also text elements such as posts, comments, bios, and captions for contextual clues.
  • Meta characterizes the scanning as part of an automated safety workflow to improve enforcement of age-related policies across its services.
An image of the Facebook logo surrounded by blue circles

Facebook and Instagram have a new way to detect and remove users under 13: AI bone structure analysis. In a blog post on Tuesday, Meta - Facebook and Instagram's parent company - says its AI system will scan photos and videos posted to its platforms for "general themes and visual cues," including height and bone structure.

"We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition," Meta says in the blog post, adding that it "does not identify the specific person in the image." This system is part of Meta's efforts to keep kids under 13 off its platforms, and will also analyze posts, comments, bios, and captions to search for "contextual clues" t …

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