YouTube’s AI will start guessing your age starting today, and it could break your account

One of the first steps you usually take when creating an account for an online service is entering your date of birth. Whether you provide a real one or not, most sites, like online retailers or streaming services, require this to check if you’re over 18. Now, YouTube is taking age verification a step further with the help of AI, a move that has sparked controversy.

YouTube began rolling out its new AI-powered “age estimation model” in the US on August 13, which uses artificial intelligence to assess whether you might be under 18 based on your viewing habits and account age. According to YouTube, the model will check “regardless of the birthdate you entered when creating your account.”

If YouTube’s AI age estimation model reviews your account activity and determines that you might be under 18, it will flag your account and automatically apply “age-appropriate” protections to it. If you’re over 18 and your account is flagged, you can challenge YouTube’s AI and verify your age. To do so, you’ll need to provide a form of ID, like a driver’s license or credit card.

“The age estimation model uses a variety of signals such as YouTube activity and longevity of the account. If we determine you’re under 18, you’ll be notified,” YouTube explains in a help post. “As always, you’ll have the option to verify your age (through government ID, selfie, or a credit card) if you believe our age estimation model is incorrect.”

What are YouTube’s “age-appropriate” protections?

Users have raised privacy concerns over needing to provide ID

Pocket-lint / Glenn Carstens-Peters / unsplash

When a YouTube account is identified by its AI model as being under 18, it will receive “age-appropriate product experiences and protections.” According to YouTube, these protections include no longer being able to watch age-restricted content, “showing only non-personalized ads,” activating “digital well-being tools” such as break and bedtime reminders, and providing privacy prompts when uploading or commenting on videos. Additionally, YouTube’s safety measures for teens involve reducing “recommendations of videos with content that could be problematic if viewed in repetition.”

Since announcing its new AI age estimation system, YouTube has faced backlash from users online who feel the new system is taking things too far. YouTube’s practices for its AI age system have also been called into question, as concerns have been raised that it may discriminate based on the content you watch.

YouTube has tried to clarify how its new age model will work, stating that if you watch a lot of Minecraft or Roblox videos, the system will not automatically assume you’re under 18. Specifically, YouTube says its age model “does not look at one form of content in isolation to determine if an account is under the age of 18” and that “Pokémon, Minecraft, Anime, and Roblox are for everyone.”

Many users have specifically raised privacy concerns about being required to provide their ID to YouTube to verify their age, in the case YouTube’s AI model mistakenly determines they could be under 18.

“In today’s digital age when fraud and hackers are everywhere and your information is less safe than ever it’s completely ridiculous to ask people to do this,” a Redditor wrote in response to the news. Another Reddit user wrote, “I’m paying for YouTube and they already have my credit info. If they prompt me for more proof, that money’s going to another service.” You can check out the original Reddit thread below.

In a blog post, YouTube states that its new system is solely aimed at protecting teens and kids in the US. “YouTube was one of the first platforms to offer experiences designed specifically for young people,” YouTube explained, “and we’re proud to again be at the forefront of introducing technology that allows us to deliver safety protections while preserving teen privacy.”

YouTube’s AI age estimation model has begun rolling out now, so it’s only a matter of time before it starts flagging some accounts. The AI age system is only being rolled out in the US currently.