Instagram to try out stronger age checks including video selfies

Instagram will start testing strong age verification for the first time, requiring users who try to change their age from under-18 to over-18 to either upload a video selfie for automatic age verification, or find three adults to vouch for them.

The changes, which are initially rolling out in the US, will apply only to users who have already indicated they are under 18, but try to edit their date of birth to gain access to age-restricted features.

In the first of the new options, a user uploads a video selfie, which is shared with the age verification startup Yoti. The British company uses the footage to estimate the age of the uploader, then deletes it from its servers.

The second option will instead allow an Instagram user to turn to other adults to vouch for their age. They will need to find, within three days, three mutual followers, all of whom are over 18, and none of whom is vouching for anyone else at the same time, to confirm their age.