In the continuity of measures taken in 2019, Instagram is taking a step further to ensure the age of its users. In the United States, the platform now requires a video selfie, the testimony of friends, or the addition of an identity document, to verify that a user is indeed the age he claims to be.
Papers please! Across the Atlantic, Instagram now imposes a more specific verification of the age of its users. Associated with Yoti, a specialist in this type of online verification, the subsidiary of Meta wishes to ensure that its users are indeed the age they claim to be.
To do this, the platform relies on a new system that allows users to show their credentials through three methods: take a video selfie (a solution that Instagram encourages for its speed), ask three friends to vouch , or upload an identity document (driver’s license or identity card for example). The verification time ranges from 20 minutes to 3 days depending on the method chosen.
This novelty complements the addition of a date of birth (made mandatory by Instagram in 2019), to make the platform safer with regard to teenagers, in particular, but also to display content that is more relevant and/or adapted to the bracket. age of the user. A way to kill two birds with one stone for the service, even if the argument of protection predominates in the press release published by Instagram on June 23.
Protecting the youngest… and showing them more suitable content
Among the protective measures provided by Instagram for the youngest: “ switch them to private accounts by default, which prevents unwanted contact from adults they don’t know and limits advertisers’ ability to reach them with ads“, explains the group. ” Knowing people’s ages allows us to provide appropriate experiences for different age groups, especially teenagers.”we read further.
As XDA Developers reminds us, Instagram is only for people over 13, at least officially. By tightening its age verification measures, the platform will be able to control this rule more easily to prevent children from being secretly registered on its service.
In terms of data security, Instagram promises that the video selfies, transmitted to Yoti for verification, will be deleted from the servers of Meta and Yoti once the operation is finalized. Instagram further clarifies that this method is only intended to confirm the age of the user… not to verify their identity. As for IDsuploaded but it is different:a priori,Meta will not delete them once the verification is done, it will keep them encrypted in a secure space.
Note that these new measures do not yet concern French users, but it is a safe bet that they will materialize in France in the months to come.
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