The Meta-owned social media platform Instagram is rolling out new features to keep the young users safe on the online platforms by verifying their age, too with the problematic method of face recognition software.

An announcement by Instagram on June 23, 2022, was made that they have a brand new set of age verification tools, which includes face ID, a video selfie, or getting friends to vouch for their age. Instagram has claimed that this move will be coming as a surprise, in Nov 2021. Facebook also owned by Instagram's parent company Meta which has kicked its debatable automatic face recognition system.

Insta's face ID method requires one's video selfie that needs to be uploaded. Then this uploaded selfie will be shared with age verification company Yoti through the social media platform Instagram. Once the video selfie is shared, the user's age is verified both Yoti and Meta delete the video.

The other possibility of new age verification referred to as social vouching. This new option lets 3 of your mutual followers over the age of 18 confirm your age, as long as they don't seem to be vouching for anyone else.

Instagram mentioned, 'We're testing this in order to make sure teens and adults are within the right expertise for their age group.' When Instagram is aware of the exact age of a user, it will become easier for them to provide age-specific content to the teens so that they do not come across something inappropriate.

Instagram video selfies could also be considered inaccurate and discriminatory. Instagram's automatic face recognition software does not get it right 100 percent of the time and may create a different problem for the users.

If Yoti and Meta keep their word and delete all the video selfies used for age verification, still there is a reasonably massive drawback.

The technology is never 100 percent correct is difficult for the user's to blind trust the social media platforms.

Well, Instagram should provide different choices for age verification people could skip the controversial face ID. However, if Meta decides and sticks to this feature as the only way to verify age is with selfies, it is better to iron out the discriminating kinks beforehand.