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Twitter age verification measures aim to deter minors from following booze brands

Twitter has rolled out a new feature that will allow you to mute someone you follow. Getty Images

TORONTO – Social networking giant Twitter has teamed up with some of the biggest brand names in alcohol to launch an age verification process that aims to deter under-aged users from following the brands.

Now when users follow brands, such as Bud Light and Bacardi, they will receive a direct message from the brand asking them to verify their age within 24 hours if they wish to continue to follow the account.

Users are redirected to a page that asks them to fill out their date of birth, which Twitter checks to make sure matches the legal drinking age in the country you specify as your home.

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If users enter a date of birth under the legal drinking age, their follow request will be denied.

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“Our hope is that this approach to age-screening will enable alcohol brands to responsibly and safely connect with the right audience on Twitter,” said Twitter’s Tarun Jain in an official blog post.

But, as with any age verification process online, the tool does not prevent users from entering a fake date of birth to cheat the system.

Twitter has so far teamed up with Heineken, Bud Light, Bacardi, and bourbon brands Knob Creek and Jim Beam to launch the tool.

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