Instagram: Will not allow subscriptions to the service to those under 13 years old.

That's it Instagram announced that it will ask for birth dates from all its new members, while at the same time enacting new security measures for the younger public.

Μuntil now Instagram has been asking its users to simply state that they are at least 13 years old.

Instagram argues that advertising is not the driving force behind this new requirement - but Reuters notes that such a move could help its audience use alcohol and other age-restricted advertising products through to avoid promoting / promoting them to minors. It is also reminded that contraceptive and gambling ads are among those for which there are restrictions, based on the rules of Instagram, but also the laws.

The change, Reuters points out, could result in such regulations being circumvented, amid criticism of Instagram by politicians and child protection organizations for what is often seen as a risk of children being exposed to inappropriate material.

"Understanding how old users are is very important for the work we do, not only to create age-appropriate experiences, but also to follow our rule that does not allow access to younger people," he told Reuters Visal Shah, head of Instagram product.

He did not elaborate on specific age-based features being tested, but said age would be the basis for the proposed privacy settings or in-app online security training. Age dates will not be visible to other users.

Additionally, Instagram will introduce in the coming weeks options for blocking messages from non-followers and businesses and popular users, known as "creators", so that minors can be prevented from viewing their posts. .

Instagram has attracted a lot of interest and attention, as it has surpassed the basic Facebook application (to which it belongs) in terms of appeal to the younger audience.

According to Reuters, Instagram will not confirm ages, and dates of birth will continue to be missing for existing users. It is noted that, until now, Instagram required dates of birth in limited cases.

According to the BBC, Facebook, for its part, admitted that "we understand that not everyone will share their real age. "The best way to collect and confirm the age of people using online services is something that the whole industry is exploring, and we are committed to continuing to work with industry and governments to find the best solutions."

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