Instagram launches video selfie and social vouching as new options to verify users' age

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram is testing new ways to verify users' age. On June 23, 2022, Instagram annoucned that it is testing new options verifying users' age on the platform. As mentioned in the official blog post, "if someone attempts to edit their date of birth on Instagram from under the age of 18 to 18 or over, we'll require them t verify their age using one of the three options." These options include their ID, recording a selfie or asking mutual friends to verify their age and will be available in the United States first. 

Here are the news ways to verify age on Instagram

• Video Selfie: Users can choose to upload a video file to verify their age. If they choose this option, they will see instructions on their screen that will guide them. Instagram also mentions that it has partnered with Yoti, an age estimation platform that estimates the age of a user through his or her facial expressions. 
• Social Vouching: This option allows users to ask mutual followers to confirm how old they are. However, the person vouching should be at least 18 years old. Users can select up to three people to vouch for them and all of them will receive requests to confirm the users' age. 
• Uploading their ID: This method has been available for Instagram users for quite some time. Users simply have to click a picture of their ID that contains their date of birth and Instagram uses it to calculate their age. 

The new features to verify users' age are a part of Instagram's initiative to provide the best possible experience to people from different age groups. Back in 2019, Instagram began asking users to enter their age while signing up for Instagram. Since then, the social media platform has made it a requirement. Particularly, Instagram allows users who are older than 13 years of age to use the platform. In some countries, the requirement is slightly higher.

Nevertheless, when Instagram knows the exact age of a user, they provide age-specific content so that young users, especially teens, do not come across something that might be inappropriate. Additionally, Instagram defaults young users to private accounts which prevents contact with adult users and shows the right advertisements as well.