Syed Imran Haider 
Meta announced the testing process of Instagram’s age verification tools in more nations, including Mexico and Canada. In June 2022, the social media app tested new testing options to verify users’ age through one of the available options.
These include uploading their identity, capturing a selfie video, or requesting mutual friends to confirm their ages. Instagram would require a user trying to edit their date of birth from under 18 to 18 and above to verify their age through one of the available methods.
Age Verification Tools – Verification Options
To begin with, the social media giant launched the test in the United States and then rolled it out in Japan and Brazil in October 2022. Meta has started testing the same tools in more countries, including Australia, Japan, Mexico, Europe, Canada, and South Korea. The company intends to bring these tools worldwide in the upcoming months.
Users must provide an ID like a driving license or a passport to verify their age on Instagram. Instagram stores their ID for a month on its server after it receives the data. You can also use the video selfie method if you do not have a valid ID.
Instagram has recently signed a partnership agreement with Yoti – a London-based digital identity company, for the second age verification method. The startup uses trained AI to carry out the process. Meta and Yoti delete the data after the verification process is complete.
Social Vouching
The social vouching age verification option lets you request mutual friends or followers to verify their ages. The user willing to vouch has to be 18 years and must not vouch for anyone else at the same time. Instagram will request the three users you choose to vouch for you to verify your age, requiring them to respond in three days. They will also find options to specify your age bracket. The three persons must pick a similar choice to confirm their age to get the verification approved.
According to Meta, it initiated testing age verification on social media in 2022. The tests revealed that social media could stop about 96 percent of teenagers from editing their date of birth from below 18 to 18 or above on Instagram.
Instagram began requesting users to enter their birthday in 2019 to stop users below 13 from joining the app. The Meta-owned social media app made it a requisite for everyone willing to join Instagram to provide their birthday. It also introduced some restrictions for teenagers. These include putting by default options for users to make their account private making users account private for those below the age of 16 as well as blocking Direct Messages (s) from unidentified adults.
