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![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/instagram-icon-ios-closeup.jpg?w=711)
Instagram, facing scrutiny from security advocates, began testing a program in the US earlier this year to verify the age of users who claim to be over 18. or It uses methods including authentication by processing video selfies through an intelligent system. Meta’s service is ready to roll out this program in two key foreign markets: India and Brazil.
These countries have 400 million active users per month on Instagram, according to market intelligence market Sensor Tower, data shared by an industry executive with TechCrunch. The social network said in an updated press release that it plans to roll out this age verification program in the UK and EU before the end of the year.
Users can verify their age by submitting ID. Instagram has a list of approved documents for verification.
The program allows users to upload a video of themselves, which Instagram uses an AI system to determine if they are 18 years or older. For this option, Instagram has partnered with UK identity startup Yoti. Once users have taken a video selfie by following the on-screen instructions, Meta will share it with Yoti for verification by its trained AI. Both companies say the data will be deleted later.
Many social media companies use Yoti’s age-based technology for verification because many users do not have a valid ID that is accepted by Instagram.
![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Age-Verification-Selfie-IG.jpg?w=680)
Image Credit: Instagram
The social media group also announced that it is adopting Social Vouching as an option for age verification. Social Verification, one of the test ways that Instagram validated the age as part of the new program, the user was able to ask their followers, who are 18 years or older, to verify the age. Although the issue has not been made public, some users may be gaming the system by asking their students 18 or older to lie for them.
The publication comes as security advocates criticize Instagram for allowing children under the age of 13 to use the platform without doing enough to prevent teenagers from seeing it. bad news. For its part, last year Instagram required everyone to enter their birthdays, but it’s hard to trust that reason because users can easily post false information. In particular, Twitter is releasing a feature that asks users to enter their birthday to see sensitive information.
Instagram says it uses age data to restrict certain experiences for young people: it leaves the accounts of users under 16 years old by default, and blocks DMs from anonymous adults, preventing advertisers from serving ads tailored to the interests and activities of young people.
Lawmakers around the world are also looking to introduce laws that would force media to have effective age checks. The UK’s Internet Safety Bill and the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act look to restrict content that users under 18 can access. Their view came after a whistleblower spoke last year to show that Facebook had a huge impact on the lives of users, especially young people.
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