Instagram is exploring new ways to verify the age of teenagers and that they comply with the platform’s rules.
The Meta-owned app is testing video selfies with facial analysis software as a new method of age verification.
Some Instagram users try to get around the rule that you have to be over 13 years oldediting their date of birth to make them appear over 18 years old.
But US teens who try it now will have three ways to verify their age: upload an ID, ask three adult users to vouch for them, or take a video selfie.
Meta says he hopes the new methods will ensure teens have an “age-appropriate experience” on Instagram.
the tech giant has previously faced criticism over teen safety and the children on their platforms.
Several US states investigated Instagram last year over the experiences of children sharing photos on the app, in response to leaks by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Will Gardner, chief executive of Childnet and director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, says the new evidence is encouraging: “There is potential to try to help protect children from content that is not for them and to make their Internet experience is more appropriate.
But 5Rights Foundation, a British organization that campaigns for the safety of children in the digital environment, claims such efforts are “overdue.”
Platforms should “leave behind the ‘don’t look, don’t see’ attitude that has put millions of children at risk,” says 5Rights, adding that “simply knowing the age of your users is not enough.”
Starting earlier this month, parents and guardians of teenage Instagram users have had additional tools to monitor their children’s experience on the platform.
They can now set time limits and view the details of any reports their child makes.
Teens will also be “encouraged” to watch other content if they repeatedly view the same topics on the “Explore” page, and will be encouraged to “take a break” if they continually scroll through the Reels.
Videoselfies and endorsements
Selfie videos have become in a popular form used by digital platforms, such as online banking applications, to verify the age or identity of users.
Instagram currently uses video selfies as a way for account holders to verify their identity if they are locked out of their account.
Meta partnered with Yoti, a UK digital ID provider, whose technology estimates age by analyzing human faces and facial features.
Yoti says its algorithm, trained on facial images of anonymous people and their date of birth, cannot individually identify users or anything about them except their age.
Its latest report, published in May, indicated that the technology was accurate for children 6 to 12 years old with an error range of 1.36 years, and for children 13 to 19 years old with an error range of 1.52 years. .
Meta notes that both companies they will remove the image once the user’s age has been confirmed.
Meanwhile, peer verification allows users to ask three mutual followers to confirm their age.
Those who are asked to confirm a user’s age must be at least 18 years old and cannot vouch for any other user at that time.
Feel safe on social media
Dr Ysabel Gerrard, professor of digital media and society at the University of Sheffield, says Instagram’s new age verification methods are a welcome addition, aside from just asking users to upload an ID.
But he adds that relying on age-verification tools as a way to protect young people online may miss the question of why they’re trying to create adult accounts in the first place.
“A lot of them say they’re 18 on Instagram not to do bad things or see bad content,” Gerrard says.
“Be technically registered as adults it makes them feel safe because they think that way they will not be harassed.”
For Dr. Gerrard, Instagram’s new verification mechanisms raise broader questions about what helps children feel safe on social media platforms.
“Pretending to be an adult is one of these things. It’s a harsh reality, but we can’t pretend it’s not happening.”
Source: Eluniverso
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