Instagram will verify your age by analyzing your face via AI

Instagram is testing new ways to verify the age of users: it will ask for the ID, ask your contacts or analyze your face.

Instagram has started Approve three new forms to verify the age of platform users, in order to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate content within the platform. One of the new ways is to analyze the user’s face to estimate your age, using a new system based on artificial intelligence.

Until now, Instagram only had the ability to verify the age of users through your identity card. In addition, the age verification was carried out only when trying to edit this data to appear on the social network as older than 18 years. However, that is about to change. The face age verification feature is powered by Yoti.

Instagram will ask you for a selfie to verify your age or ask some of your contacts

Face age verification is based on technology developed by Yotia company specialized in the creation of verification software based on artificial intelligence models, which allows estimating a person’s age by analyzing their features. This technology can be tested on the Yoti website through a free demo –the company ensures that shared images are not saved–.One of the disadvantages of this system is that could fail.

According to Yoti herself, in people 24 years of age or younger, the estimate could have a deviation of about 2 and a half years. In addition, it is not as accurate when analyzing the faces of female or dark-skinned people. In that sense, although face analysis verification is only available in the United States initially, the system developed by Yoti has been approved by some European organizations so the feature will most likely come to other countries sooner or later. Age verification can also be carried out by asking three mutual followers.

In addition to this method, Instagram has introduced another new way to verify the age of users: if the user so requests, the social network will ask three mutual followers selected by the person who intends to verify their age, to indicate whether the age indicated by the user is correct. These followers will have to be over 18 years old and will have three days to respond. The new verification methods are already being tested in the United States. With them, Instagram intends to prevent minors under 13 from gaining access to the social network so that those over 13, but under 18, stay safe within the social network by avoiding exposure to inappropriate content.