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WhatsApp wants to know the age of some of its users and for that it will soon start asking your date of birth before you can access the messaging app. The feature is being built into the Android version for development and will eventually roll out to a beta update in the next few weeks. WhatsApp is basically following the legal norms of various countries, which it recently adopted in the EU region where messages can be interactive, and people can send chats on Telegram or Signal from WhatsApp.

Why does WhatsApp want to know my age?
So, why does WhatsApp need to know your age and how and where is it planning to go about this change? Details by WeBetainfo indicate that the messaging platform is looking to comply with recent law changes in various US states, such as Texas, where it is mandatory for users to confirm their age before they start using any online service, including WhatsApp.

The messaging app will show a pop-up box asking when you were born. It appears that most states in the US have set an age of 15 to use these digital services under the latest legal standards. So, make sure you enter the correct age, as that data cannot be corrected or changed again.

WhatsApp will also tell these users that their age is required if they want to use the app. It also assures people that their age will not be shown to anyone on the messaging app and it is only for its regulatory requirements and does not affect their privacy or security on the platform in any way.

It is important for meta-owned platforms to comply with local regulations, and setting an age limit in the US is actually a good way to prevent cases of abuse of older children. In fact, we think it's not a bad idea for WhatsApp to make this age verification feature mandatory in more countries, as it will only help youngsters fall prey to bad actors on the messaging app. Having said that, it is important that WhatsApp has a robust mechanism that checks the details provided by the user without compromising their privacy.