 "Instagram introduces new age verification feature for users in India")
Meta Platforms on Friday introduced new age verification options for Instagram users in India who want to update their age from under 18 to 18 years or above.
People will now be able to ask others to vouch for their age or use technology that can confirm their age based on a video selfie. Earlier age verification was possible only by uploading a driving license or any other ID.
The users can edit their date of birth on Instagram by verifying their age using any of the three options: either by updating their ID, recording a video selfie, or asking mutual friends to verify their age. Instagram said the new feature aims to ensure that teens and adult users get the right experience for their age group.
Instagram started testing the new feature for users based in the USA in June 2022.
“Starting today, we’re expanding this test to additional countries including India and Brazil. We plan to expand to the UK and EU before the end of the year. We’re also removing Social Vouching as an option to verify age from the test to make some improvements,” Instagram said in a blogpost.
The social media platform has partnered with Yoti, a company that specializes in online age verification without compromising the privacy of the users. If a user chooses to verify their age by uploading a video selfie, it is shared with Yoti, which estimates the age based on the facial features and shares that estimate with Instagram.
The social vouching option allows the users to ask their followers to confirm their age. The person vouching for another user must be at least 18 years old and must not be vouching for anyone else at that time. The verification request must be confirmed by at least three followers within three days to complete the process.
The company added that the option to verify age by uploading an ID would continue to be valid after the rollout of the new feature. “You will still be able to upload your ID to verify your age with forms of identification like a driver’s license or ID card. We will use your ID to confirm your age and help keep our community safe. Your ID will be stored securely on our servers and is deleted within 30 days.”
People will now be able to ask others to vouch for their age or use technology that can confirm their age based on a video selfie. Earlier age verification was possible only by uploading a driving license or any other ID.
The users can edit their date of birth on Instagram by verifying their age using any of the three options: either by updating their ID, recording a video selfie, or asking mutual friends to verify their age. Instagram said the new feature aims to ensure that teens and adult users get the right experience for their age group.
Instagram started testing the new feature for users based in the USA in June 2022.
“Starting today, we’re expanding this test to additional countries including India and Brazil. We plan to expand to the UK and EU before the end of the year. We’re also removing Social Vouching as an option to verify age from the test to make some improvements,” Instagram said in a blogpost.
The social media platform has partnered with Yoti, a company that specializes in online age verification without compromising the privacy of the users. If a user chooses to verify their age by uploading a video selfie, it is shared with Yoti, which estimates the age based on the facial features and shares that estimate with Instagram.
The social vouching option allows the users to ask their followers to confirm their age. The person vouching for another user must be at least 18 years old and must not be vouching for anyone else at that time. The verification request must be confirmed by at least three followers within three days to complete the process.
The company added that the option to verify age by uploading an ID would continue to be valid after the rollout of the new feature. “You will still be able to upload your ID to verify your age with forms of identification like a driver’s license or ID card. We will use your ID to confirm your age and help keep our community safe. Your ID will be stored securely on our servers and is deleted within 30 days.”
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