Thursday, March 28, 2024

Here’s how Instagram’s new age verification update could impact users in Victoria

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Over the next few weeks, Instagram users in Victoria and across the country might notice a new change to their accounts.

Starting today, Instagram Canada is expanding its age verification test. 

For users that are currently under the age of 18 that attempt to edit their date of birth to 18 and older, Instagram will require users to verify their age using one of two options: upload their ID or record a video selfie.

The popular social media platform used for sharing Instagram reels and photos is partnering with Yoti, a company that specializes in online age verification, to help ensure people’s privacy.

In a statement made on the platform’s website, the reasoning for this age verification method is designed as a way to protect younger audiences from explicit content.

“In 2019, we began asking people to provide their age when signing up for Instagram. Since then, we’ve made this a requirement. Knowing people’s age allows us to provide appropriate experiences to different age groups, specifically teens.”

“When we know if someone is a teen (13-17), we provide them with age-appropriate experiences like defaulting them into private accounts, preventing unwanted contact from adults they don’t know and limiting the options advertisers have to reach them with ads.”

This update follows Tik Tok’s announcement on Wednesday that every user under 18 will soon be limited to one hour of screen time a day, the company’s most aggressive move yet to prevent teens from scrolling endlessly on its platform.

How do you feel about Instagram’s latest age verification method?

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