Instagram's insatiable appetite for personal data comes with a threat: give it back.
Monday's announcement by Facebook, a social media platform owned by the company, stated that users will have to submit their birthdays from now on. They won't have access to the service if they don't want to comply.
The press release states that we will send you a notification several times. If you don't provide us with your birthday within a certain time, you will need to share it in order to continue using Instagram."
Instagram claims that they are working on plans to capture people putting fake birthdays.
The company warns that some people might give us the wrong birth date and is working on new systems to correct this. "We shared this information recently: We are using artificial intelligence to determine how old people really are, based on posts like Happy Birthday."
You can't hide anything. Credit to facebook
Instagram claims this data grab is in its best interest. It cites a March move that made it more difficult for adults to message children under 18.
The company explains that this information "allows us to create new safety measures for young people and helps ensure that we provide the right experiences for the right age group." "We can, for example, use users' birthdays to limit advertiser targeting options to audiences younger than 18 years.
Instagram, however, is quick to acknowledge that this policy has its benefits.
"[Knowing users’ birthdays] helps us show you more relevant advertisements."
Instagram's help centre makes it clear that once you've given your birthday, there is no way to get it back.
Instagram warns that "once you add your birthday, it cannot be removed."
And, in case you were inclined to see the silver lining in all this news, Instagram's new birthday policy may make it easier for friends to remember their birthdays. That hope is also shattered by Instagram.
"Also your birthday will not be shared with anyone on Instagram."
SEE ALSO: Download your Instagram history and then delete your account.
There you have it. The world's most data-hungry companies has become a little more greedy. It's time to feed the beast.
