Instagram extends its age verification test to India

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.