Instagram extends its age verification test to India

Instagram

Instagram announced on October 14 that it is extending a test for users to verify their age on the platform to India and Brazil, amid criticism that the Meta-owned video and photo sharing platform is negatively impacting teenage audiences.

First introduced in the United States in June 2022, the test requires any user who attempts to change their date of birth from under 18 to 18 or over to verify their age by either recording a video selfie or uploading a photo ID.

For the video selfie option, Meta has partnered with UK-based digital identity provider Yoti who will estimate the age based on their facial features, following which both Meta and Yoti will delete the image, the company said. Meta also noted the technology can't recognize any other identity besides age.

For the photo ID option, Instagram said it accepts any identification document that shows their name and recent photo including birth certificate, driving license, passport, Voter ID card, or any other government-issued identification document.

The platform also said it is removing social vouching as one of the options to verify age in the test. This option enabled teens to choose three mutual followers who are aged 18 or above and can confirm how old they are. Meta said it is removing this option to "make some improvements" without disclosing any specific reason.

Through this test, the company said it aims to ensure teens and adults are in the right experience for their age group. It also aims to expand the test to the United Kingdom and the European Union by the end of this year.

This development comes a month after Instagram extended its parental supervision tools to India, designed to protect young users by helping parents and guardians get more involved in their kids' experiences on Instagram.

The company had also announced it is rolling out Family Center, a new hub for parents and guardians to access supervision tools and resources from leading experts.