YouTube is introducing a new AI age verification system to estimate the age of users to detect if they have fabricated their birthdays, as age authentication laws tighten globally.
YouTube has started launching age-estimation technology in the US as part of its newest effort to make the platform “more age-appropriate” for teen users.
In this feature, if YouTube’s age verification system detects that the user is underage or a teen, it will alter its content for a safe user experience; the teens will not receive targeted ads, and they will have more restrictions on repeated views on content such as body image videos or social aggression clips.
Additionally, the social media platform will also send reminders about screen time and bedtime nudges.
The new system applies machine learning to detect a user’s age from contextual and behavioural cues, rather than relying on the birthday dates they provided during sign-up.
The system will begin functioning for a small set of users and roll out across regions over the next few weeks.
However, these defenses aren’t new, as there were limits on repeated watching added back in 2023. But up until now, restrictions only covered users who had actively confirmed their age.
If they faked their birthday or skipped that process altogether, YouTube probably treated them as an adult, but with new machine learning technology, YouTube’s system could flag users as under the age of 18.
Although this is an effective plan to provide kids a safe online experience, the only flaw is that if the AI system fails to detect the age, it will also identify adults as teenagers.
In this case, users are advised to verify their age through a credit card, government ID, or a selfie.