On Thursday, Instagram announced that it is testing additional tools for users to verify their age on the network, beginning with those in the United States.
Meta Platforms Inc (META.Ophoto-sharing )’s service said it is exploring two additional techniques to validate a person’s age, in addition to allowing them to post their identity proof online.
“When we know if someone is a teen (13-17 years), we provide them with age-appropriate experiences like defaulting them into private accounts, preventing unwanted contact from adults they don’t know and limiting the options advertisers have to reach them with ads,” Erica Finkle, director of data governance at Meta, said in a blog post.
Instagram announced a collaboration with Yoti, a business that specializes in online age verification, to protect users’ privacy.
Users can verify their age by uploading a video selfie, after which Yoti’s system predicts their age based on facial traits. Instagram stated that both Meta and Yoti will erase the image after the age has been verified.
People can also choose three mutual followers to validate the user’s age, and the person vouching must be at least 18 years old.
Instagram halted the launch of Instagram Kids last year in response to criticism and opposition to the idea. Instagram Kids was supposed to give ad-free, age-appropriate material and required parental permission to join, but US politicians and advocacy organizations asked the company to cancel its plans, citing safety concerns.
