Instagram's age-verification identified a moustachioed adult as over 16 but how did it go with a 13-year-old?

"Instagram's process for determining whether a user is over 16 is relatively quick and painless if you're clearly an adult but how does it work if a 13-year-old tries to change their account's date of birth to make them appear grown up? Meta in November began notifying Instagram and Facebook users whose date of birth is set as under 16 or who the platform understands to be under 16 that their accounts will be deactivated as part of Australia's social media ban for children."

"Due to laws in Australia, soon you won't be able to use social media until you've turned 16. You will not be able to use your Instagram account until you've turned 16. This means you can't use Instagram and your profile won't be visible to you or others until then. We'll let you know when you can use Instagram again."

"The account was then presented with two options: download the account data and prepare for it to be deactivated until the user turns 16, or review the date of birth. An Instagram notification sent to a test account with the age set to 15, including an option for a date-of-birth review. Photograph: Instagram/Meta Choosing the latter allows the user to take a video selfie to prove the account holder is over 16."

Meta began notifying Instagram and Facebook users identified as under 16 that their accounts will be deactivated under Australia's social media ban for children. The ban is due to take effect on 10 December, with Meta starting to remove access for under-16s from 4 December. A test Instagram account set to age 15 received a notification stating the account would be unusable until the holder turns 16. The account was offered two choices: download account data and prepare for deactivation, or review the date of birth. Choosing review prompts a video-selfie verification, with the app accessing the front-facing camera.

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