Three years after launching Facebook dating, Meta finally allowed users to verify their displayed age, Engadget reported on December 6.
Like the age verification experiment on Instagram last summer, Meta once again used the help of a company called Yoti.
Accordingly, if Facebook's automated system suspects that a minor is trying to use the dating app on Facebook, that individual will be asked to provide additional information to verify their age.
Users can prove they are old enough to use the service by sending a photo or selfies certificate.
In the second case, Meta will share the video with Yoti. Yoti's machine learning algorithm will estimate the age of users based on facial features. After the company shared its estimate with Meta, Yoti will delete the image from the archive.
Yoti's age verification technology is currently controversial for some reasons. First, it was like an air plane black box. According to Yoti's representative, they do not know exactly the facial features that their software uses to make judgments.
AI is also more likely to estimate someone's age incorrectly, depending on their gender and skin color. In general, this technology is most inaccurate when testing the face of women with dark skin and is most accurate when looking at men with bright skin. However, Meta claims to have achieved a lot of success using Yoti's software.
For example, on Instagram, the technology has prevented6% of adolescents from using fake dates to be able to use the service for people over 18. This technology is mainly used to protect minors from online hunting.
The age verification feature on Facebook dating is currently only available in the US. Meta said it will bring the feature to more countries after more testing.
