Instagram is extending its age verification programme to various regions to improve its processes of verifying and restricting user ages, thus limiting their exposure to potentially harmful content on the app.

According to Meta's spokesperson, Andy Stone, the age verification test will now be expanded to countries such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and many more in Europe. Instagram's age verification process was initially launched in the United States last June and involves three verification options: uploading a government ID, recording a video selfie, or requesting mutual friends to verify age.

Meta reports that 96% of teens who attempted to alter their birthdays from under 18 to over 18 were stopped from doing so. This enhanced level of verification could be a significant step in ensuring that young users are not exposed to potentially harmful aspects of the app and inappropriate advertisements.

The pandemic lockdowns have caused more children to use social media platforms for entertainment and social connection, which can increase the risk of exposure to predators and inappropriate content. Therefore, these additional measures are a crucial step towards enhancing the safety of the platform, even though it may not prevent every youngster from cheating the system.