Instagram is testing new ways for teenagers to verify they are 18 years old | Tech Reddy

Instagram said on Thursday that it is testing new options in the US to verify that users are 18 years old.

To address the concerns of lawmakers and parents, Instagram is asking users who are trying to correct their age from under 18 to 18 or older to verify their age by sending a photo ID, recording a personal video, or asking friends to verify their age.

The age checks come after studies linking Instagram use to the mental health of young users. After moving forward, the company offered other tools for parental controls such as Family Center.

The social media platform said that the principles are guided by the principle that young people and adults have age-appropriate user experiences on the platform.

Instagram, then Facebook key Meta, said it will send video selfies to Yoti, a London-based company that uses artificial intelligence to determine age based on facial features. Meta said the technology cannot recognize any other identity except for age.

Yoti and Meta will remove video selfies when the age is confirmed, the company said.

Instagram started in 2019 asking people to provide their age when registering. Minimum age of 13 to sign up.

“Determining someone’s age online is a complex, industry-wide challenge. We want to work with others in our industry, and with governments, to ensure clear standards for online age verification,” Meta said in a press release. “Many people, such as young people, do not have access to the types of IDs that make it clear and easy to verify their numbers. As an industry, we need to explore new ways to approach the dilemma of verify someone’s age. have ID.”