Twitter introduces age gate for certain accounts

Twitter has introduced an age-screening system that the micro blogging site said will help alcohol brands 'safely grow their of age network'.

In partnership with certain alcoholic beverage makers, Twitter is testing an age verification system to prevent young users from accessing their content. In order to follow Bud Light, Bacardi and Heineken on Twitter, users will now be required to confirm that they are over age 21.

The new system means that users who try to follow one of these brands will receive a direct message (DM) asking them to confirm their age within 24 hours. Users click on the link in the message and are taken to an age verification page where they enter their date of birth. If users enter a birthdate that makes them less than 21 years old, they will no longer be able to follow the alcohol brand's Twitter page.

For the time being, the micro-blogging platform is testing this feature exclusively with alcoholic beverage brands, including Bud Light, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Heineken and Bacardi.

The new age gate applies to the Twitter.com website as well as to the platform's iOS and Android apps. As always with this type of age check, its effectiveness relies on the honesty of internet users, who could easily enter a false date of birth.