What’s Got Us Talking in June 2022?

Instagram will now scan users’ faces for age clarification

Continuing to tackle the issue of minor safety on the platform, Instagram has announced that it's trying out new ways to verify users' ages, including scanning their faces. The face-scanning trial began testing in the US on 23rd June, meaning that if someone attempts to edit their date of birth on Instagram from under the age of 18 to 18 or over, Instagram will require them to verify their age using one of three options: uploading their ID, recording a video selfie, or by asking mutual friends to verify their age.

When an Instagram user is verified to be between the ages of 13 and 17, the platform is able to provide them with age-appropriate experiences. Making young users' accounts private by default, preventing unwanted contact from adults they don’t know, and limiting the options advertisers have to reach them with ads are just some of the restrictions that can help ensure the safety of younger users.