Instagram to ask for your selfie video for age verification

Instagram is testing new ways to confirm the age of users to provide age-appropriate experiences. The platform introduces two new options, including having someone upload their ID. In addition, one will now be prompted to upload a selfie video or ask friends to confirm their age, which is said to be still not an effective way to get age confirmation.

Instagram introduced the age verification feature in 2019, but the system was ineffective as people only needed to provide a date of birth to complete the age verification process. After that, the system was mandatory, but the platform could not obtain a solid confirmation about the user's age. It later announced that one would have to verify their age by uploading official identification, like a driver's license or identification card.

While this method looks nice, the social media giant does not require verifying declared ages. A 2021 study by the child protection nonprofit company, Thorn, revealed that more than 40 percent of children under the age of 13 use Instagram and other social media platforms that claim to exclude them. In case you are unaware, Instagram has an age limit and requires the user to be 13 years old to sign up.

It seems that Instagram is now introducing new ways to tackle the age appropriateness issue in a better way. The latest announcement for age verification also suggests the same, and existing ones will likely not be asked to go through this process again. It will only be for those who are trying to make changes to their age or someone who is creating a new account. Also, you can choose to avoid the video selfie or social verification option.

"If someone attempts to edit their date of birth on Instagram from under the age of 18 to 18 or over, we'll require them to verify their age using one of three options: upload their ID, record a video selfie or ask mutual friends to verify their age," Instagram shared in a blog post.

As mentioned above, there are three options. The first is to upload any of your official IDs. The second is the social bonus. Finally, Instagram will need you to ask your mutual followers to confirm your age.