Facebook 's answer to a dating site is set to introduce age verification to ensure that only over-18s are using the adult section of the app.
Facebook Dating will ask users to show proof of their age by uploading an ID document or using technology from UK company Yoti, which analyses selfies taken by users to determine their age. Parent company Meta confirmed that the new system will initially roll out in the US, with the UK expected to follow.
It comes after similar measures were introduced on Instagram, which now asks users to attempt to edit their date of birth from under 18 to over 18 to prove their age using the same system. The Online Safety Bill returned to Parliament this week, and would see new safety laws introduced which would require companies such as Meta to prove they have systems in place to protect younger users from harmful material online.
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Erica Finkle, Meta’s director of data governance, said: "Our age assurance tests show that our tools are working to help keep young people within age-appropriate experiences, and we’re proud to partner with Yoti to provide people with simple to use options that respect their privacy."
Yoti’s chief policy and regulatory officer, Julie Dawson, added: "Enabling young people to thrive and be safe online is of the utmost importance. So, we’re delighted to continue our work with Meta to create age-appropriate experiences, this time on Facebook Dating.
"Daters can have greater confidence in who they are meeting online, and most importantly, young people will be better protected from accessing inappropriate content and experiences."
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