Google is implementing an “age rating” for its video platform in the United States. Users who may be teenagers will see different content, regardless of their age setting.
Google uses artificial intelligence in its system, which analyses your viewing behaviour to determine whether you are a teenager. If the AI suspects you’re lying about your age, it can still restrict the content you see. Anyone wrongly labelled as a teenager will be required to verify their identity with, for example, a government-issued document.
The so-called “age estimation” technology is set to be rolled out in the United States in the coming weeks. For some time, teenagers have been subject to certain restrictions on the YouTube streaming platform.
For example, they cannot view adult content and receive reminders to go to bed on time, among other things. Across the broader ecosystem, they will not see personalised ads, and their Timeline on Maps will be disabled by default. Google can also block them when they try to download adult apps from the app store.
Age verification
Anyone who incorrectly believes they are younger will be required to verify their age with a valid photo ID. The system appears to be part of a broader trend to make the internet less anonymous to protect children from inappropriate content.
Google’s changes come just days after the United Kingdom introduced mandatory age verification for several sites, including Bluesky and Reddit. Several European countries are also considering introducing mandatory age verification for the internet.