Source: VICE
Summary
Instagram is rolling out age verification in the US, using AI-powered technology to ensure user ages are accurate. The company claims to have continuous age-check systems running in the background. The rollout begins with a small group of users in the US and will expand to the rest of the country in the coming months.
Our Reading
The announcement sounds ambitious.
Instagram is finally doing something about age verification, because it’s 2023 and we’re still having this conversation. The company claims to have AI-powered tech to ensure user ages are accurate, but we’ve seen this before. It’s just a rebranding of existing measures to check for fake accounts. The launch follows a familiar script.
Instagram is starting with a small group of users and promises to expand to the rest of the country soon. Because, of course, it’s only a matter of time before users find ways to bypass these “continuous age-check systems.”
This is just another example of tech companies reacting to public pressure instead of taking proactive measures to address these issues. It’s a Band-Aid solution to a much deeper problem.
And let’s be real, it’s not like this is going to stop kids from lying about their age or adults from pretending to be younger. It’s just a way for Instagram to say, “Hey, we’re trying!” while still profiting off of users who are under the age of 18.
Original observation: It’s a wonder Instagram didn’t just use the “I’m 18, I swear!” checkbox like every other social media platform.
