Instagram is testing new ways to verify your age. The social media app is adding two more methods in addition to the already existing way of simply uploading your ID to the app, which can take up to two days to verify.
The two new methods include sending a video selfie to Instagram or asking your followers to vouch for you. The former option will guide you through on-screen instructions for taking a video selfie, such as turning your head at different angles to get an accurate image.
The selfie video will only be shared with Yoti, one of Instagram’s partners that specializes in age verification. Yoti will estimate your age based on your facial features and delete the video once it’s done. The verification process takes only 20 minutes.
The second option is called social vouching and as the name says, it will have your friends vouch for you, but there are a few prerequisites. You have to ask your mutual followers to confirm how old you are, but the person vouching must be older than 18 and not vouching for anyone else at that time.
You will need to ask three people to vouch for you and they will have to respond within three days. There are also other safeguards in place, but Instagram has not detailed them as of yet.
Instagram wants to know your age for two reasons. First, you have to be 13 or older to use Instagram in some countries and secondly, the app wants to tailor its experience to you based on your age.
The feature is still in testing and it is unclear when it will roll out to the public.