Meta announced today that it has begun testing its Instagram age verification tools in more countries, including Canada and Mexico. Last June, the social media app began testing new options for users to verify their age using one of three options: upload their ID, record a video selfie, or ask mutual friends to verify their age . If a user tries to change their birthday on Instagram from under 18 to 18 or older, the app will require them to verify their age using one of three methods.
The test initially launched in the United States and was later rolled out in Brazil and Japan in October. The age verification tools are now being tested in more countries in Europe, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Australia and Japan. Meta plans to make the tools available globally in the coming months.
Image Credits: Instagram
To verify your age, you can provide proof of identity, such as a passport or driver’s license. If you do this, Instagram will keep your ID on its servers for 30 days before deleting it. If you don’t have a valid ID, you can choose the video selfie method. Instagram has partnered with London-based digital identity startup Yoti for this option. Once you upload a video selfie, it will be shared with Yoti, who will verify your age using specially trained AI. Once the verification process is complete, both companies delete the data.
The third age verification option is called “social vouching,” which allows you to ask mutual followers to confirm how old you are. The person providing guarantor must be at least 18 years old and may not vouch for anyone else at that time. The three people you select to vouch for you will receive a request to confirm your age and must respond within three days. The people who vouch for you will be given options to specify your age range, such as under 13 years old, 13-17 years old, 18-20 years old, 21 years old or older or I’m not sure. All three must choose the same option for your age verification to be approved.
Image Credits: Instagram
Meta says that since it first began testing age verification on Instagram last year, the tests found it was able to stop 96% of teens attempting to change their birthdays from under 18 to 18 or older on Instagram to edit.
Instagram began asking new users to enter their date of birth in 2019 in an effort to ban users under the age of 13 from accessing the app. In 2021, the social network will make it mandatory for everyone to provide their date of birth. In the same year, it introduced restrictions for teens, such as making accounts private by default for users under the age of 16 and blocking DMs from unknown adults.