YouTube has announced it will soon roll out a new artificial intelligence age verification tool on its platform. The company said it will introduce the tool to a small pool of users in the U.S. before launching it more widely. The feature will ensure younger audiences “have a safe and age-appropriate experience.”
Why is YouTube rolling out an AI age verification tool?
After being initially announced in February, the new system will reportedly go into effect on Aug. 13, according to 9to5Google. It will differentiate young viewers from adults in order “to help provide the best and most age-appropriate experiences and protections,” the company said in a press release.
“People come to YouTube to learn and be entertained. This is true even for the youngest audiences, and it’s why we remain laser focused on making sure they have a safe and age-appropriate experience,” the company said in a press release. “Over 10 years ago, we launched YouTube Kids, and 4 years ag,o implemented supervised accounts for pre-teens and teens.”
The technology will help YouTube identify a user’s age regardless of the birthday indicated on the account.
How will the AI verification tool work for YouTube?
“We will use AI to interpret a variety of signals that help us to determine whether a user is over or under 18. These signals include the types of videos a user is searching for, the categories of videos they have watched, or the longevity of the account,” the company said.
If the system identifies a user under 18, it will automatically disable personalized advertising, turn on digital wellbeing tools and add safeguards to recommendations, which will include “limiting repetitive views of some kinds of content.”
In the event that a user would incorrectly be identified to be underage, they will have the ability to verify their age using a credit card or a government ID.
“We will only allow users who have been inferred or verified as over 18 to view age-restricted content that may be inappropriate for younger users,” it indicated.
Online age verification is on the rise
The rollout comes as age verification efforts for certain websites have started being implemented. In 2023, the UK passed the Online Safety Act, which now requires residents to verify their age before accessing pornography online, Mashable reported. Texas has recently upheld a similar law, which requires pornographic websites to verify their users’ age using a government-issued ID or use third-party age-verification services.
Online age verification requirements present challenges regarding privacy and freedom of speech, according to Samir Jain, vice president of policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology.
It presents the “potential to upend access to First Amendment-protected speech on the internet for everyone, children and adults alike,” he told the Associated Press. “If states are to go forward with these burdensome laws, age verification tools must be accurate and limit collection, sharing, and retention of personal information, particularly sensitive information like birthdate and biometric data.”
