To check someone’s age and make sure they aren’t under the limit, Instagram announced a couple of new methods to verify people’s age.
Soon, anyone thinking to change their birthdate requires uploading a supported document, recording a video selfie from various angles or even asking some of their followers to vouch for their age to be true. All these verification methods are currently being tested in the US, and will soon roll out to other regions.
Age Verification on Instagram
Instagram is one of the major platforms that are under scrutiny for being harmful to children. With most of the users being teens and young people, there is a high number of chances that underaged people (under 13 years) may sneak in to enjoy the platform.
And since Instagram was strictly advised to avoid that from happening, the platform today announced a couple of new-age verification methods that may help avoid underage kids entering in. First, up is uploading a supported ID, which defines your age from a recognized government body.
It’s an old method and can often be deceived. Thus, there’s a new option for verifying with a video selfie! Instagram partnered with Yoti, an age verification platform that’s verified by the Age Check Certification Scheme and endorsed by a German regulator.
Yoti has an error margin of 1.5 years while checking the age of people 13-19 years, and it doesn’t identify someone with the video submitted, and deletes the content right after the verification is done. You’ll be asked to submit a video selfie from various angles, which will be analyzed by Yoti’s AI to determine the actual age of the person.
If not this, there’s another new option called “Social Vouching,” where you can reach out to your mutual followers on Instagram and ask them to vouch for your age. All these are being tested in the US, and will soon come to more regions.