Facebook Dating Will Let Users Verify Their Age With AI Face Scanning, Meta Says

Meta on Monday announced that it has introduced a new method for users to verify their age on the Facebook Dating service. Facebook is testing methods, such as using AI facial scanners, to let users of the platform’s dating service verify their age.

meta announced in a blog post that it will start prompting the user on Facebook Dating to verify that they are over 18 if the platform suspects the user is underage.

Users can then verify their age by sharing a selfie video that Facebook shares with a third-party business or by uploading a copy of their ID. According to Meta, the company, Yotiuses facial markings to determine a user’s age without identifying them.

Meta says the new age verification systems will help prevent children from accessing adult features. There doesn’t appear to be any requirement for adults to verify their age on Facebook Dating.

The US social media giant has used Yoti for other age verification purposes, including testing Instagram users who try to change their birth dates to make them 18 or older.

However, according to a report by The Verge, the system isn’t equally accurate for everyone: Yoti’s data shows its accuracy is worse for “female” faces and those with darker skin tones.

Last year, Instagram announced that it has started prompting users to fill in their birthday details. The prompt might have been dropped at first, but the social media giant has finally made it mandatory for users who want to continue using Instagram. Reminders are designed to determine the age of users on Instagram and prevent content that is not suitable for youth from appearing on their feeds. At the time, Instagram stated that this information was necessary for the new features it was developing to protect young people.