YouTube rolls out AI age verification technology

Alphabet Inc. has introduced a number of measures designed to more accurately determine whether an account is used by a young person on YouTube.

Media platform YouTube has announced plans to roll out additional age verification tools to determine whether users are under 18 and should therefore be targeted with more age-appropriate content.

YouTube has a lot of content that is not suitable for people under 18. Photo: Adgully

Announced in February as part of YouTube's 2025 roadmap, age-related features aren't new, but previously they were only applied to accounts of young people who identified themselves as under 18, rather than being automatically applied to unverified accounts.

The rollout, which will initially affect a small number of teens in the US, will use AI-powered technology to collect information related to a person's age, regardless of the user's date and year of birth.

Factors that will be used to determine an account owner's true age include the types of videos a user frequently searches for, the categories of videos they've watched, and how long the account has been active.

If an account is determined to be owned by someone under 18, YouTube has said it will automatically apply a number of age-related protections, such as personalized ads being disabled, digital wellbeing tools being offered, and protections being added to recommendations. Additionally, some types of content will have limited review options.

If an adult's account is misidentified as a minor's, they can verify their age by uploading a credit card or government- issued ID.

A new AI platform will help YouTube verify users' ages through behavior on the platform. Photo: AI Creat

In a statement on its website, YouTube said its site was "one of the first platforms to offer experiences designed specifically for young people, and we're proud to once again be at the forefront of introducing technology that allows us to provide safety protections while protecting the privacy of young people.

“Families trust YouTube to deliver a safe and enriching experience, and we will continue to invest in protecting their ability to explore online safely.”

The YouTube news comes amid a period of upheaval for social media platforms around the world, with the announcement that Australia's world-first social media ban on children under 16 has revoked YouTube's exemption.

The decision comes after the internet regulator intervened, recommending that the Australian government lift YouTube's exemption due to the problem of harmful content present on the site.

"I am calling it a day. I want Australian parents to know we stand behind them," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

With the ban taking effect in December, YouTube has maintained that, as a video hosting site, the group should not be classified as a social media platform.

The UK has previously begun implementing its own age verification measures following the passage of the Online Safety Act 2023, which aims to protect children and young people from exposure to harmful online material, such as sexually explicit, violent or exploitative content, as well as substance abuse content.

While many will be happy to see tighter regulations imposed on young people and social media companies, there has been opposition due to concerns about the free flow of information and the breadth of the new regulations. A petition calling on the UK government to repeal the law has so far gathered more than 421,000 signatures, and the number is still growing.

YouTube isn’t the only platform that uses AI to determine a user’s true age. However, unlike Meta, which allows users to adjust their settings if they are misidentified, YouTube requires users to verify their age with a credit card or ID if the system determines they are under 18.