Children are using fake birth dates to create profiles on social media platforms. Amid rising concerns, Meta-owned Instagram has brought a new test for users in India to verify their age through an original ID or video selfie. If someone in India who is 18 or older tries to edit their date of birth on Instagram, the company will now require them to verify their age using one of two options, upload their ID or a Record video selfie, option will be available.
The company said, “We are testing this to ensure that teens and adults are in the right experience for their age group. Trials began in the US in June this year and are now expanding to India and Brazil. Is.”
The Company Plans to Expand Testing to the UK and EU Before the End of This Year
“We are also removing social vouching as an option to perform age verification from the test to make some improvements,” Instagram said.
The social vouching option asked users to confirm how old they were with mutual followers. The three people they chose to authenticate received a request to confirm their age and were required to respond within three days.
Now, Those Part of the Test Can Choose to Upload A Video Selfie to Verify Their Age in India
Earlier this week, UK media watchdog Ofcom said that more than a third of children between the ages of 8 and 17 are using various social media platforms after signing up with fake birth dates.
“Our latest research shows that the majority (77 percent) of social media users between the ages of eight and 17 have their own account or profile on at least one major social media platform,” Ofcom said in a statement.
