Instagram needs to know the real age of its users to provide a suitable experience for them. We already know that those under the age of 18 are given private accounts by default, in addition to limiting advertising and preventing them from coming into contact with unknown people, among other things.
The Meta Platforms social platform has been requiring the age of its users since 2019, and since then it has been increasing the forms of age verification of its users. In this sense, They just announced that they are testing two new age verification options: video selfies and third-party verification.
To better protect those under the age of 18
These two new options that are initially beginning to be tested among Instagram users in the United States may eventually be added to the other existing option: uploading an official identification document.
Be that as it may, Instagram emphasizes its agreement with Yoti, a company that has ways to preserve privacy in the age verification process both on social networks and on e-commerce platforms, games and other industries.
Regarding video selfies, those who choose this option will receive on-screen instructions to guide them through the process. After the video selfie, it will be sent to Yoti so that this company uses its technology to establish the age estimate based on facial features, an estimate that is later sent to Meta, where both Meta and Yoti will eliminate the selfie in video provided.
And with respect to age verification through third parties, those who choose this option must select up to three mutual followers who are at least 18 years old and meet other requirements must respond to the age verification request within three days from receipt of it.
Those who opt for the official identification document, Instagram tells them that the uploaded documents are stored securely on their servers for 30 days, for which they will later be eliminated.
Regarding Yoti, they indicate that:
trains its dataset with anonymous images of various people around the world who have transparently allowed Yoti to use their data and who can ask Yoti to delete their data at any time. For individuals under the age of 13, Yoti collected data through specific data collection exercises in which parents or guardians gave their explicit consent.
It is possible that at some point in the future, these options will expand to other markets.
More information: Instagram
