YouTube’s rumored AI-powered age verification tool is coming to life this week. Starting on Wednesday, the company will begin deploying an age estimation model that will determine whether or not users are over the age of 18.
On July 29, the company announced the tool would be coming to the United States in the coming weeks after it was tested in other markets. The goal is to better protect younger users from watching age-inappropriate content.
The AI verification tool will only work once a user is logged into their account and will be utilized regardless of the birthdate a user enters when creating their account, the most common way younger users trick platforms into letting them access more mature content. The age estimation tool uses several signals like YouTube activity and how long the account has been around to determine the potential age of the user.
If a user is deemed to be under the age of 18, they will be notified, and their YouTube experience will be modified to be more age appropriate. That means enabling digital well-being tools — such as bedtime reminders, break reminders and a time watched function — as well implementing non-personalized ads. Younger users will be able to post videos but only privately to selected friends. Privacy warnings and restrictions on video recommendations will also be implemented on these younger accounts.
Users who are incorrectly flagged as younger will have the option to verify their ages by providing a government ID, selfie or a credit card.
“YouTube was one of the first platforms to offer experiences designed specifically for young people, and we’re proud to again be at the forefront of introducing technology that allows us to deliver safety protections while preserving teen privacy,” James Beser, director of product management for YouTube Youth, wrote in a blog post that introduced the change in July. “Families trust YouTube to provide a safe and enriching experience, and we’ll continue to invest to protect their ability to explore safely online.”
YouTube isn’t the only tech giant that’s been using AI tools to determine the age of users. The Meta-owned Instagram unveiled a similar strategy in April of this year.
