Instagram is now requiring users to enter their date of birth in order to make an account, in the hopes of making the social media platform safer for younger users. 

While the app used to only require a new user to verify that they were over the age of 13, which will still be in Instagram’s Terms of Use, the new change will help to customize certain privacy settings and provide more accurate ads for each age group, said Instagram in a statement.  

The user’s date of birth will not be visible to the public, and it will only be used for safety concerns. The age requirement will also allow users to set restrictions on who can direct message them, based on ages.

Another change with this new condition is that advertisements for age-restricted products, such as alcohol and tobacco, will not be displayed for users under the legal age in their country. 

Since Instagram does not verify each user’s age, the younger users can lie about their date of birth, or edit it at any time, which is causing some people to have some concerns about this change. Others think that this change will make the social media platform safer for young users and minors.