Meta brings age detection by using AI face scanning on Facebook Dating

Announced in a recent blog post, Meta said “Starting today, we’re expanding our age verification test to Facebook Dating in the US. We require people to be at least 18 years old in order to sign up for and access Facebook Dating, and age verification tools will help verify that only adults are using the service and help prevent minors from accessing it.”

It said that in case the platform detects someone under the age of 18 tries to use Facebook Dating, it will prompt them to verify their age. They will have two options to choose from. Users can either upload a video selfie or a copy of their ID to verify their age.

In case the user opts to upload a video selfie, he/she will see instructions on the screen to guide through the process. After they take a video selfie, Facebook will share a still image from the video with Yoti – a company that specializes in online age verification. If they opt to upload their ID as age verification proof, Facebook says that it will be encrypted and stored securely, and will not be visible on your Facebook profile or to other people on the app. Users will also be able to manage how long their ID is saved.

“Providing people with more than one option to verify their age allows them to select a method that best fits their needs and preferences. For example, many people don’t always have access to the forms of ID that make verifying age clear”, Meta said in the blog post.

At present, the age detection on Facebook Dating is available for users in the US. But, Meta says that it plans to bring the age detection technology and verification tools to other countries globally where Facebook Dating is available, and to more experiences that require people to be over 18 to access them.