Instagram has said that it is testing a new feature where people will have to verify their age by uploading an official ID. The identity card could be of any nature- like a driver's license or personal ID card, along with other modes. This update has been incorporated to provide age-appropriate experiences on the photo splatformlatfrom.
The new feature will start to roll out in the US, and if someone who is using the platform and is under the age of 18, Instagram will request them to verify their age by sharing their ID card.
The verification could be made by either uploading an ID, recording a video selfie or asking mutual friends to verify the user's age. As per the norm, Instagram users should be at least 18 years old to use the platform and must not be vouching for anyone else at that time.
"We're testing this so we can make sure teens and adults are in the right experience for their age group. We are also partnering with Yoti, a company that specializes in online age verification, to help ensure people's privacy," the company said in a statement.
"Your ID will be stored securely on our servers and is deleted within 30 days," it added.
The users can choose to upload a video selfie to verify their age.
"After you take a video selfie, we share the image with Yoti, and nothing else. The technology cannot recognize your identity - just your age," informed the company.
In 2019, Instagram first began asking people to provide their age when signing up.
"We require people to be at least 13 years old to sign up for Instagram. In some countries, our minimum age is higher," said Instagram.
For teenagers (age 13-17), Instagram provides them with age-appropriate experiences like defaulting them into private accounts, preventing unwanted contact from adults they don't know and limiting the options advertisers have to reach them with ads.
"If you choose to upload a video selfie to verify your age, Meta and Yoti delete it once your age is confirmed. Your video is not used for anything else other than to verify your age. If you choose to upload an ID, after you send us a copy of your ID, it'll be encrypted and stored securely," said Instagram.
Inputs from IANS
