After US, Instagram brings age verification options to India: How it works

The new options enable age verification on Instagram through supported documents or recorded selfie video. In lieu of new options, the previous social vouching option has been deprecated

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram on Friday announced that it is expanding the testing options for age verification to India. Initially limited to the US, the new options for age verification are now being tested by Instagram in Brazil too. The social media platform is planning to expand the test to the UK and the EU before the end of the year.

This new options will require users to verify their age, if they attempt to change their date of birth on Instagram from under the age of 18 to 18 or more. To verify age, Instagram users need to either upload their identity document or submit a recorded video selfie. In some countries, Instagram requires people to be at least 13 years old to sign up.

"We’re testing this so we can make sure teens and adults are in the right experience for their age group," said the company.

Instagram says users ID will be stored on its servers and will be deleted within 30 days, if users choose to verify their age by uploading ID. Alternatively, users can choose to upload a video selfie to verify their age. They will be guided by the on-screen instructions. Once the video selfie is recorded, the image will be shared with Yoti -- a company that offers privacy-preserving ways to verify age. Yoti estimates the user's age based on their facial features and shares that estimate with Instagram. Both Meta and Yoti then delete the image. The technology cannot recognise users' identity – just their age, according to Instagram.

Besides the above two mentioned options, Instagram is also testing social vouching option for age verification.

What is Social Vouching?

Social Vouching allows users to ask mutual followers to confirm their age. The person vouching must be at least 18 years old and must not be vouching for anyone else at that time. That person will be needed to meet other Instagram safeguards too. Users have to select three people to vouch for them, the selected people will receive a request to confirm the user's age and will have to respond within three days.