Instagram rolls out AI age verification tool for UK/EU
The platform will automatically analyse video selfies to enable users to 'prove their age'
Instagram users in the UK and EU will now be able to use a new age verification tool on the platform as part of a major safety update to protect children.
Users who attempt to change their date of birth from under the age of 18 to above 18 will need to prove their age by providing an ID or submit a video selfie for analysis by independent age estimation technologies.
The new feature, powered by age-verification technology from Yoti [pdf], was piloted in the US in June as a way to quickly estimate whether users are the age they claim to be.
Yoti is a well-known player in online age and ID verification, and its technology has been certified for use by both the government of the United Kingdom and German digital regulators.
With Yoti's face-scanning technology, a brief video selfie is taken and compared to a variety of data points to determine the user's age.
After the age is confirmed, the selfie is instantly erased.
See also: Age verification is coming
According to Instagram, the new update will help to ensure that users get an experience that is suitable for their age.
Users already have to disclose their age before they are able to use Instagram, so that the platform could provide age-appropriate content to them. Users who have access to identification may choose to submit a picture of their passport, driver's licence or verified national ID card.
However, Instagram has experienced difficulties with verification since many of its younger users lack acceptable forms of identity.
The platform said in June that it was looking at methods for teens to prove their age and abide by platform policies.
Users may now verify their age using the Yoti system and a facial scan. If the age check is unsuccessful, the site won't let them update their date of birth to suggest that they are older than 18.
In order to prevent undesired interaction from strangers, Instagram accounts for users under the age of 18 are by default set to private.
In spite of the fact that Instagram makes it clear that users must be at least 13 years old to join up for the site, some independent studies carried out by third parties have shown that younger users frequently manage to make their way on the platform.
According to research commissioned by Ofcom, one out of every three youngsters lie about their age in order to access adult content on social media.
Instagram public policy director Tara Hopkins described the new video age verification tool as "important step" toward providing safer and better experiences for minors on the network.
"We want everyone to experience Instagram in a way that's appropriate for their age, which means we need to know how old they are - and this is a challenge across our industry," she said.
NSPCC's response to Instagram's move
Online safety campaigners have long advocated for increased child protection, particularly following the Molly Russell inquest, which found last month that the 14-year-old girl died from an act of self harm after being exposed to harmful online content.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) responded to Instagram's announcement by saying that although it was encouraging to see efforts being done, they weren't sufficient and that the tools should be applied to all site users.
"With Ofcom research showing that a third of under-18s on social media admitted setting up adult accounts, it is crucial that Instagram takes the necessary steps to ensure that these children are not being exposed to risk or harm," NSPCC policy and regulatory manager Richard Collard said.
"But these measures will seemingly do little to stop new young users creating adult accounts on Instagram or protect children who are already using them. This halfway house is exactly why the government needs to quickly deliver a robust Online Safety Bill which makes sure that every social media site has a legal obligation to protect children from harmful content on their platform."