Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images How much filter is too much for kids and teens posting selfies on social media? That’s the question facing state attorneys general across the country following a historic settlement with Meta this summer. As part of the settlement, the social media giant agreed to block some digital beauty filters for minors, specifically those that mimic extreme transformations like cosmetic procedures or heavy makeup. Now, the burden falls on state officials to tell Meta where to draw the line. But defining where harmless fun ends and harmful manipulation begins is far from simple. Impact on Youth Body Image For teens navigating the digital landscape, the pressure of perfection online is a daily reality. Much of that pressure has been fueled by online beauty trends like “Instagram face.” Coined in 2019 by New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino, the phrase refers to an appearance characterized by a small nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. Although it can traditionally only be achieved in real life through plastic surgery or extreme makeup, it can be applied instantly online using beauty filters. Mia Lerner, a 17-year-old high school senior in California and youth body image activist, knows the toll these digital tools can take. She told NPR that experimenting with beauty filters contributed to her eating disorder and left her struggling with her self-image. “I’ve even tried fixing my nose with AI,” Lerner said. “I think my face looks much better in [the] photo that I manipulated with these beauty filters. But I still live with this nose that I see in the mirror.” Lerner welcomes the aspect of the Meta agreement that aims to restrict beauty filters for minors. “It’s a very important step in the right direction,” Lerner said. The problem with “subtle” editing However, the agreement reached in August between Meta and 47 US states (plus Washington DC and three territories) does not establish an outright ban on all digital effects. Filters that transform users into funny characters, such as elves or puppies, will still be available for young people, but so will filters that offer subtle beautifying effects, such as softening the skin tone or adding a slight glow to the eyes. It’s this relatively minor category of editing that Lerner is particularly concerned about. “When I see something that’s obviously been generated by AI, it’s very easy for me to logically say, ‘Well, it’s obviously been manipulated, so I can’t compare myself to that,'” Lerner said. Technological guardrails against moving targets Meta has previously implemented measures to manage beauty filters, which are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence. The tech giant has already banned filters that explicitly promote cosmetic surgery, such as those that overlay lines of pre-surgical markers on the skin. It also closed its platform to third-party creators of these tools, introduced mandatory labels for AI-generated content, and implemented automated AI detection systems. Despite these systems, the harmful aesthetic filters and features that keep children trapped in an endless cycle of scrolling, clicking, and staying online persistently escaped these barriers, as a federal judge wrote in a summary ruling denying Meta’s defense this summer. Meta isn’t the only tech company struggling with teens’ access to beauty filters. TikTok also restricts use by users under 18 years of age. Snapchat does not restrict teens’ access to filters. users post images or videos created with third-party filters on the platform, or on TikTok and Instagram, for that matter. Meanwhile, state attorneys general are nearing the end of a two-month period they set to provide Meta with guidance in the form of a letter on what constitutes a prohibitible filter and what does not. Evolving Beauty Standards They face a moving target as digital beauty standards evolve rapidly. “If states want to define what a beauty filter is, they should define what beauty is,” said Florencia Solari, a creative. “People are starting to move away from that because it’s starting to look a little clownish,” Solari said. So that’s another problem.” As a result, the tools used to achieve the latest look are also changing. So what lawmakers might call an “extreme” beauty filter in 2026 will likely be different in 2027. Technological Changes While beauty standards are changing rapidly, so is technology. Instead of sitting in boardrooms debating pixel thresholds for cheekbones, Kelly Frasier, co-author of a recent study highlighting the negative impacts of social media on body issues in teens, said lawmakers should consider the fact that teens will soon be able to use AI to create fake universes around them, not just change their appearance. Therefore, they should focus on broader regulation of AI for minors. “I think lawmakers are asking the wrong question if they’re asking where to draw the line for beauty filters,” Frasier said. “And to be honest, filters will probably become completely obsolete in the next few years.” Legal experts warn that individual states may have difficulty reaching a consensus on what does and does not constitute what the agreement describes as a “cosmetic procedure filter.” “What we really don’t have a clue about is what happens if states disagree with each other?” said David Greene, senior attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. But officials either declined to comment or did not respond. Beyond the U.S., some international regulators hope to avoid discussions over definitions of beauty filters altogether. “Beauty filters, period, are prohibited for minors,” said European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier. Regnier said EU lawmakers are closely monitoring the implementation of the U.S. deal. “We want child-friendly services for our children. A beauty filter has nothing to do with a child-friendly service,” Regnier said. Teens want to be heard Meta says it plans to enforce the ban on “cosmetic procedure filters” early next year. For young activists like Lerner, the hope is that tech companies and regulators will include teens in these discussions. “Very often, in these conversations it’s just the government or these companies,” Lerner said. “The company should be asking us our real perspectives, like ‘Are the people?’ Will actually using these extreme AI filters or that won’t make a difference? ‘Do we need to aim for something else?'” Meta said the company has partnered with teens over the years, but did not respond to NPR’s question about whether it is currently doing so.
