WhatsApp recently lowered the minimum age to 13 in Europe, but the app itself does not perform any checks. In the future, WhatsApp will follow Instagram’s lead and ask you to: Enter your date of birth.

As WaBetaInfo discovered, WhatsApp is preparing a new setting for us to enter our date of birth and thus verify that we meet the minimum age to use the app. Our age will not be visible to anyone It is on WhatsApp and once we enter it we will not be able to change it.

Age verification on WhatsApp

Nowadays, you have to be 13 to use WhatsApp in Europe, but the app takes your word for it. If you use WhatsApp, you have confirmed that you are at least 13 years old, but this may not be enough for various upcoming legislation, so WhatsApp is preparing a more proactive way for you. users indicate their age.

A quick “When were you born?” With WhatsApp will ask us our date of birth and automatically calculate our age. When we enter our date of birth we can’t edit anymore. This is like Instagram wanting us to hit birth age in 2018.

It is necessary to remember this already In 2018 WhatsApp asked us to confirm we were 16but then he did it in a much simpler way, by checking a box. Normally, those who do so then (who will now be at least 22) will not need to verify their age again.

At WaBetaInfo, they think this new box for entering age comes in time for new age verification legislations being implemented in some states in the United States; but although one of the priorities of the European DSA and DMA is to ensure age verification, protection of minorsThis first requires that these minors be identified as such on the platform.

The minimum age to use WhatsApp today is 13, but Meta has a way of knowing if the current user is of legal age. This new setting will be very useful in this case, but we do not know when it will arrive or under what conditions.

Via and screenshot | WaBetaInfo

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