Instagram is growing check the age to more countries, soon including the European Union. Instagram has been testing the system in the US since the summer to verify the age of users claiming to be 18 or older. The app asks them, among other things, to take a selfie video, after which software with artificial intelligence can estimate how old they are.

The program is currently being rolled out by Instagram to India and Brazil, which together have 400 million Instagram users. Instagram said it would introduce age verification in the EU and UK before the end of the year.

In addition to selfie videos, users can also send photos of identification, such as an ID card or driver’s license. “Your ID is stored securely on our servers and will be deleted within 30 days,” says parent company Instagram Meta.

Restrictions for young users

The minimum age to use Instagram is 13 years. The new system should prevent children from circumventing the restrictions that the app imposes on young users. There are various restrictions for Instagram users between the ages of 13 and 18. For example, new accounts for young people under the age of 16 are set to private by default. Instagram also turns on the option for users under 16 by default so they see less ‘sensitive’ images.

The new age check can also help adults who accidentally enter an incorrect date of birth.

System with AI

To check age with video selfies, Instagram partnered with British startup Yoti, which determines age using an artificial intelligence (AI) system. According to Meta, the person’s identity was not recorded. The data will also be deleted after the verification process is complete.

Meta has been using AI software for some time to recognize whether users are lying about their age. The company doesn’t scan photos and videos, but looks at other signals, such as texts and messages about birthdays, to determine how old a person is.

Concerns about impact on children

Instagram has come under fire for years because the app is said to have a negative impact on children’s self-image. Criticism increased last year after the leak of an internal report, which found that one in three girls suffering from low self-esteem was partly blaming Instagram.

Instagram decided last year after a storm of criticism to postpone its planned children’s version of Instagram. Measures were also taken to improve the safety of young people on the platform. For example, it is becoming increasingly difficult for adults to send chat messages to underage users.