# UK Online Safety Act: Why Is Instagram Asking Me to Verify My Age? > Instagram asking you to verify your age in the UK? How the Online Safety Act links to age checks, what the options are and what if it fails. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/uk-online-safety-act-instagram-age-check - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-29 - Topics: Instagram, UK, Age verification - Related service: Instagram account recovery: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/instagram-account-recovery ## Short answer Under the UK Online Safety Act, platforms must protect children from harmful content, which has led Instagram to ask some UK users to confirm their age. Meta's options include a video selfie age estimate or an ID upload. Complete it in-app only. If it fails or wrongly flags you as under 18, use the appeal in the same flow. ## Summary - The Online Safety Act requires child protection duties from platforms. - Age checks appear for some UK accounts. - Meta offers a video selfie estimate or ID upload. - Only verify inside the Instagram app. - A wrong result can restrict features until fixed. Age checks are now common in the UK. Here's what the law asks and how Instagram's check works. Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. ## Why is Instagram asking me? GOV.UK explains that the Online Safety Act requires platforms to protect children from harmful content and use age assurance where needed. Instagram may ask you to confirm your age if your details or activity suggest you might be under 18. > Warning: **One wrong step can cost you the account.** One wrong step can cost you the account, so know what you are doing before you start. If you are not sure, do not submit an appeal yet. Ask AwareXone for a free expert review first, then act. ## What are my options? | Option | What happens | Good for | | --- | --- | --- | | Video selfie | An AI tool estimates your age from a short video | Quick, no document | | ID upload | You upload an official ID | When the selfie estimate is wrong | ## What if the check fails? 1. Retry in good light with your face fully visible. 2. Choose the ID option if the selfie estimate is wrong. 3. Use only Instagram's in-app flow. 4. If you're placed into a teen account wrongly, follow the appeal steps shown. Related guides: [Can't Change My Date of Birth on Instagram: Will a Wrong Age Get My Account Restricted?](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-cant-change-date-of-birth). ## What common mistakes should I avoid? - Verifying through a link in an email or DM. - Using someone else's ID. - Retrying the selfie in poor light many times. - Creating a new account with a different birthday. ## How do I keep the account safe while I sort this out? - Never share a login code, password or backup code with anyone, including people who say they work for Meta, the police or a recovery service. - Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are ones you still control, and remove any you do not recognise. - Turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it, ideally with an authenticator app, and keep your backup codes somewhere offline. - Log in only from the official app or by typing the address yourself, not from links in messages, comments or ads. - Keep screenshots of every notice, email and step you take, with dates, in case you need them for a review or a report. - Make one careful attempt at each official step rather than many rushed ones, because repeated failed attempts can trigger extra checks. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen. AwareXone has solved 1,300+ cases and works only through official platform processes. Support is available 24 hours, every day. We never ask for your password, login codes or backup codes, and we never name our clients. [Request a free case review](https://www.awarexone.com/contact?interest=account-recovery-case) or [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/601137634679). Malaysian cases are priced in MYR; other markets are quoted in USD after review. AwareXone is independent and not affiliated with Meta, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Threads. Recovery work is best-effort and the platform makes the final decision. ### Is the video selfie stored? Meta says the video is deleted after the check. ### Can I skip the check? Not if Instagram requires it to keep features. ### Does this affect adults? Some adults are asked if signals suggest they might be younger. ### Is this a scam? Real checks appear inside the app, not by email or DM. ### Can AwareXone check my case before I appeal? Yes. AwareXone offers a free case review. Send us what you see on screen and what you have already tried, and an expert will tell you whether to appeal, wait or take another route. We never ask for your password or codes. ## Official sources - [Official: Online Safety Act: explainer - GOV.UK (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer) - [Official: How video selfie age verification works on Facebook (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/help/1386337538619854) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.