The technology has been made available in the United Kingdom. Users who attempt to change their date of birth from under 18 to over 18 on the app will be required to upload their national ID or show a selfie video that will be analysed by AI.
Instagram explained that the new system would ensure that users on the platform were receiving age-appropriate content.To create an account on the photo-and-video-sharing app, users must be at least 13 years old.
For a long time, online safety advocates have been requesting this feature. Many people are opposed to children using these platforms for fear of exposing them to potentially harmful content. After years of campaigning, age verification is now a possibility.
Instagram collaborated with the UK firm Yoti, which specialises in age estimation technology. Yoti’s system examines facial features in selfie videos. It then shares the estimated age with Instagram once it has reached a conclusion. The platform stated that Yoti’s system did not use facial recognition and only estimated the user’s age.
Earlier this year, Instagram tested the system in different countries.
