In the future, users should definitely enter their date of birth on Instagram - otherwise, in the worst case, the account may be blocked.
Kassel - Alongside Whatsapp * and Facebook, the social media platform Instagram is one of the most used media this year according to the Digital Report.
The virtual photo book lives above all from commenting on and liking the uploaded content as well as exchanging ideas with other users.
Until recently, the platform could even be used without providing personal information.
But that will change in the future.
The advertising-financed online service asked users to enter their date of birth so that they could continue to use it.
The company announced this on its own blog at the end of August.
This information is "required for new functions that we are developing to protect young people," said the company.
developer |
Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger |
Publishing year |
2010 |
operating system |
Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Android, iOS |
Change on Instagram: users must indicate their birthday
It has been mandatory to specify the birthday when creating an account since 2019.
Nevertheless, Instagram points out that not all users with existing accounts have yet entered their birthday.
If you have not yet entered your date of birth in the app, Instagram will remind you of this at regular intervals.
This should be done, for example, as a display in the feed or on images that show sensitive content.
The latter are only visible when the users are over 18 years old.
Video: Internal report published - How Instagram harms young people
Instagram with a new change: If you don't give your date of birth, you can be blocked
However, it is not worth ignoring the question of the date of birth again and again.
At some point Instagram will temporarily block the account.
You can only access your profile again when the birthday has been saved.
The reasons for the change on Instagram are different.
According to the company, this is intended to strengthen the protection of minors on the one hand.
This allows Instagram to better control the age of users.
Accounts of adolescents who are under the age of 16 are then given a private account by default.
Accordingly, the posts on the account are only visible to followers.
External Instagram users then have no access to the profile.
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In addition, according to their own information, profiles of adult minors should no longer be able to send messages.
In the end, this also worked for private profiles that were not followed.
Instagram develops AI to verify the date of birth
On the other hand, the change on Instagram is supposed to offer an advantage for advertisers.
Since the platform is financed by advertising, the target group and the advertising content can be better coordinated by specifying the exact age.
But who checks whether the date of birth was actually given correctly?
Instagram is planning to use artificial intelligence (AI) to counteract incorrect information about the birthday.
This should then independently find out how old the users of the platform are, for example based on contributions posted on their birthday.
As the company announced, however, the AI is still in the early stages of development.
Nena informed her fans about her tour in the coming year in a recent Instagram post.
The singer has completely canceled this.
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