Following a wider push for stricter online safety rules, new AI verification is coming to YouTube to protect underage users.

More safety for younger audiences on YouTube

The UK has rolled its Online Safety Act, already bringing in tighter age restrictions for certain sites, including age checks on Spotify. Now in a separate move, YouTube is taking its own step in the same direction. It’s putting artificial intelligence in charge of age verification.

Starting August 13 in the US, YouTube will roll out AI-powered age checks to decide whether a user is over 18. It’s designed to protect younger viewers, but it could cause some headaches for adult users and creators.

YouTube says the system isn’t entirely new. It’s been used in other markets and tested with a select group of US users over the past couple weeks since YouTube’s initial announcement of the change.

“We’ve used this approach in other markets for some time, where it is working well. We are now bringing it to the US, and as we make progress we’ll roll it out in other markets.”

via YouTube Blog
Spotify introduces age checks for restricted content in the UK

How the AI decides your age

YouTube’s AI age verification will consider various aspects. It looks at: the age of your account profile, the type of content you watch, and what you search for.

When it comes to the age of your account profile, 9to5Google suggests if you’ve had your account since 2007, the AI will probably assume you’re over 18. However, this could be put into doubt if your account is newer or you’ve got an alternative account.

Some adults with kids will also be concerned that their account may be given a mistaken underage level, if their children are searching and watching kids content. Likewise, adults who may like animations or more child-friendly content may find themselves in the same boat.

What if AI verifies your age incorrectly?

YouTube reiterates the AI should be good at guessing based on those factors, but it may not always get it right. If you’re over 18 but flagged as underage, you can verify your age by:

  • Uploading a government ID.
  • Taking a verification selfie.
  • Sharing a credit card. 

While the first two options raise privacy concerns and seem a bit more invasive, the credit card method is more in line with standard online age checks.

If you don’t like the look of any of these alternatives, there are no other options available.

What happens if you’re underage

If YouTube’s system identifies you as under 18, several age-approporate protections apply:

  • No personalised ads due to legal restrictions on selling personalised ads to minors in many regions.
  • Digital wellbeing tools like break and bedtime reminders will be switched on by default.
  • Recommendation safeguards to limit repetitive viewing of certain content.
  • Privacy warnings when commenting or uploading videos.

In a digital age where online age checks are perhaps overdue, improving the safety for young users online is much-welcomed. These protections certainly aim to make YouTube a safer space for younger users.

AI age checks may not be flawless, but YouTube is betting on them to improve. Whether they become a welcome safety feature or an annoying and unreliable barrier remains to be seen.

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